The Sting
by Bob The Other Zombie
Summary: Pike and Scanlan get married, sort of. A story about love, trust, family, marriage, music...and organized crime. Critical Role fic, Pikelan with background Perc'ahlia and Vaxleth.
1. Meetings

If she closes her eyes, Pike can still remember the moment she met each member of their little family.

Grog she'd found as a child, covered in scrapes and bruises, wandering the street by her house with a bewildered look on his face. The twins she'd met simultaneously nearly fifteen years later, when she'd been at Grog's apartment and he'd introduced her to his neighbors. Keyleth and Tiberius had been the year after, if that. They'd taken a vacant apartment down the hall, and Keyleth had dragged Tiberius around to greet all of her new hallmates. Percy joined them last, when Keyleth found his ad on Craigslist after Tiberius moved out. Pike had been half-convinced he was a serial killer at first, but she'd warmed to him quickly.

And then there was Scanlan. After the way things ended, Pike worried she'd never be able to forget a moment she spent with him. She knew she'd forgotten so many things already, all the mundane moments in their apartment, the everyday banter around mealtimes, the quieter moments while watching television, and yet, the memories she had of him remained far too crisp for her liking. She couldn't help but wonder if she'd missed some sign, if she could've stopped him, if she could've somehow known.

Like the day they'd met, five years ago. Pike had been working her way through med school, and took study breaks at Grog's whenever she could possibly spare the time. She was spending one of her precious free hours there, kicking Grog's ass in Mortal Kombat and drinking beer, when she'd heard a door open.

She didn't look up- she expected Grog's old roommate, a private fellow who didn't seem to like her much. Instead, a warm tenor purred, "Oh, hello. And who is this?"

Startled by the interruption, Pike let her guard down, and Grog's character dealt a major combo, leaving her with a sliver of health. "Fuck!" she said.

"Oh yeah." Grog rumbled, sounding amused. "Meet Scanlan. He's my new roommate."

"You got a new roommate?" Pike struggled to recover, but her rhythm was off, and Grog quickly dispatched her with a few well-timed moves. Pike threw down her controller as Grog laughed, and glanced up at the intruder.

Standing in his bedroom doorway, in ratty purple band t-shirt partially tucked into his jeans, was one of the oddest people Pike had ever seen. He looked as short as her, with long brown hair in a messy ponytail down his back. The ponytail, combined with weathered skin, a nine o'clock shadow, and ancient-looking cowboy boots, made his age inscrutable, but when he smiled, the grin had mischief that took years off of his face.

"Scanlan Shorthalt." Grog said. "He's my drinking buddy from the gym. Though he's not at the gym anymore."

"We had artistic differences." Scanlan said smoothly, extending a hand. "And this lovely lady is?"

Pike stood up, shaking his hand. "Pike Trickfoot." His grip was warm, although he lingered a second too long.

"My sister." Grog growled from the couch.

Pike let go of Scanlan's hand and turned to Grog, placing her hands on her hips. "Grog. You know I can handle myself."

"Yeah, you can." Grog leaned back on the couch, smiling proudly. "She could take you in a fight, Scanlan."

"Good to know." Scanlan said. When Pike turned around, he was still smiling at her, seemingly unabashed.

Afterwards, he'd joined them on the couch for a bit, even losing badly at a few rounds of Mortal Kombat before leaving the house with a guitar. Pike found out that he was trying to make it as a musician, that he'd worked as a receptionist at the gym with Grog for a few months, that he'd been fired for showing up late too many times and was a barista now, and that he was likely a fair bit older but refused to say. Pike remembered coming away from the conversation thinking Scanlan was a pretty open fellow, if a bit too flirtatious.

She wondered if she'd missed signs, even then. She wondered how she could have gotten such a wrong first impression, and how she'd kept it for so long. She'd eventually figured out he had his secrets, and his openness was partially an act, but she'd had no idea the extent of it until things had fallen apart.

But after three years, she accepted she might never get the answers to what exactly had happened back then.

Until the fucking sting.

* * *

 **(2017)**

Pike knew, when she got the call from Kima to come down to the police station, that it could only mean one thing. She hurried in, gave her name to the woman at the front desk, and was quickly ushered into one of the more private rooms in the back.

After several minutes, Kima walked in, followed by Allura, to Pike's surprise. Kima she expected, as the short, red haired woman was the detective assigned to her family's case, but Allura worked higher up in the chain of command, on the court side of things. Allura wouldn't be here unless things were serious.

"What's going on?" Pike asked as they sat across from her. "Did you find them again?"

Allura and Kima traded a look, and Allura nodded. "We've heard word that a group matching your family's description has been operating cons out of Emon." Allura said. "Their usual methods, targeting kids and the elderly, convincing people they've broken the law, that sort of business."

Pike shook her head. "I'll let you know if they contact me. Unless you want me to try and reach out?"

"That's just it." Kima said. "We came up with a more proactive plan this time."

Allura leaned forward. "Do you remember the last time your family visited you? Three years ago?"

Pike nodded. "I...I remember. But that was because they found out I was living with someone well-connected. We don't talk, anymore."

Kima and Allura traded glances. "We have another idea." said Kima. "It's...strange."

"Okay."

"We were trying to come up with an event that would bring family into town." Allura clasped her hands together on the table. "Like weddings, funerals, major birthdays or anniversaries, and reunions. Of the list, only weddings or funerals are really compelling. And between those two, a funeral would be a lot harder to fake, and would only bring them into town for at most a few days."

Pike furrowed her brow. "So what you're saying is..."

"We would like you to fake a wedding and invite your family." Kima said.

Pike leaned back in her seat, wondering if she'd heard right. "Um..."

"We've received special allocation from the department to help provide you with funds, so you won't have to worry about that." Allura said. "We would prefer you tell as few people as possible about the true nature of this wedding, to prevent word getting to your family. Maybe host some bridal showers and events beforehand so they have a reason to be in town for a while."

Pike was still searching for words. Kima slid a hand across the table. "I know this is an odd plan, but that's why it might work. They'll suspect if you just invite them into town, but they might not if you're planning a wedding. And the amount of money that goes into a wedding nowadays might be too much for them to pass up."

"Oh, no, this sounds fun." Pike said. "You want me to host a big party for my friends and maybe get my family off the street? I can do that. I've got a few good friends who might agree to be my fake spouse, too-" At that, Kima leaned back, looking towards Allura. "What?"

"We've already got someone in mind." Allura said.

Pike tilted her head. "You do? Who, Grog? I don't think they'd buy that-"

"No." Allura said, and she and Kima glanced at each other again.

Kima stood. "Come with us."

"Um...okay." Pike said, following Kima and Allura out into the hall.

"This is a kill-two-birds situation." Kima said as they walked down a long row of doors. "We arrested a guy recently, he's connected to some big drug and counterfeit rings in the city. We offered him this wedding as a plea deal to keep him out of jail, for a bit. We're trying to get him to tell us more, but he's not keen on talking."

Allura nodded. "We would like for you to keep an eye on him, maybe get some information out of him."

Pike glanced between them as they stopped outside another door. "Wouldn't it be more believable if I was marrying someone they knew?"

"They do." Kima said, lowering her voice. "And you do, too. We think you've got a better chance of getting him to talk than anyone."

Before Pike could fully process the words, Kima had opened the door and ushered her inside. Pike stopped cold, staring at the person handcuffed to the other side of the table. If not for the nudge as Allura bumped into her back, she would've thought she was dreaming.

And then Scanlan smiled, the same smile from five years ago when they first met. "Well, this is..." He paused, searching. "...happening."

Pike lunged across the table and slapped him in the face.

* * *

 **A/N: New fic! A few things- this has been prewritten and for the most part pre-edited, so I'm going to aim to post a chapter weekly, probably on Sunday, but we'll see. Through edits, I managed to cut about 25k, some of which could stand alone as oneshots, so I may post a few of those down the line. Also, while working on this, I kept hearing songs and thinking "this is perfect for x scene!" so I eventually caved to self-indulgence and made a playlist. If anyone's interested, it's called "The Sting" under the youtube account mommamilioti. It shouldn't spoil anything- some songs I chose for the lyrics, but just as many others were chosen because they're referenced in story, or I liked the general mood. Only two are specifically about just Pike or just Scanlan, so there's plenty of room for interpretation.**

 **Finally, I simplified some of the Trickfoot family relations, because humans unfortunately don't have gnomish lifespans** **\- Astra and Johann are Pike's aunt and uncle instead of cousins (and JB's parents), and Ogden is Wilhand's brother and Pike's great-uncle, to justify his age. I hope you still enjoy!** **. I hope you still enjoy!**

 **Next up: Pike and Scanlan move in together, twice.**


	2. Roommates, part 1

**(mid 2013)**

On Pike's first night living in Grog's apartment, she barely slept.

Somehow she'd forgotten how much noise he made in his sleep. Grog snored like a chainsaw, and he was restless, too, constantly switching positions and muttering. Beyond that, she couldn't stop thinking about her upcoming residency. In all her years of schooling, she'd learned plenty, but that didn't compare with sixty hours a week of working at a hospital. What if she made a mistake? What if a patient died under her watch? What if she'd wasted years and thousands of dollars for a profession not suited for her?

Grog let out a particularly loud snort, and Pike groaned, turning over again on the cot. Thank goodness she didn't start the internship tomorrow, she still had a few days. She needed to unpack all her dishes and her clothes, and buy some groceries, and figure out where to find the nearest drugstore-

"Fuck it." Pike whispered, and she kicked off her sheets, standing.

Scanlan had a gig tonight, so the living room was empty. Pike examined it, hands on her hips. She was excited to live here, with her friends, with the twins, with Trinket, with Keyleth and Tiberius, and Scanlan, and her brother. Splitting rent with Grog and Scanlan and sleeping on the cot made it cheap, and it was closer to her residency than her old med school place with her three roommates. Pike had probably spent more time here than her own apartment the past year and a half.

She just wished she could fall asleep.

Pike switched on the Xbox, muting the TV. She pulled up a first-person shooter, one of the more mindless ones from years ago, and began playing. Blowing up aliens with the sound muted was strangely satisfying. She'd always had a strange fascination for blood and guts, even before med school.

Thirty minutes into her game, the door creaked open, and Scanlan walked in. His hair, which he'd gelled into shape earlier in the night, sagged into a ragged ponytail, and he'd sweated his makeup into a smudged mess. He tugged his guitar case through the door with some difficulty. "Hey, roomie."

"Hey." Pike said, pausing the game. "You need help getting everything up?"

Scanlan nodded. "That would be wonderful. It's all out in Vex's truck."

They carried his equipment up in relative quiet, piling it all in a corner of Scanlan's room. "How'd it go?" Pike asked, once they'd gotten everything settled.

Scanlan shrugged. He pulled his hair out of its messy ponytail, running his fingers through it to untangle it. "Oh, the usual. Lots of beautiful people screaming my name. What are you doing up? It's 3am."

"Couldn't sleep." Pike said. "Forgot how loudly Grog snores."

Scanlan chuckled, tying his hair back up again. "Let me show you something. Not my dick, I swear."

"Good, I'm glad." Pike followed him back out into the living room. He grabbed a bottle of rum from the cabinet, and headed for the window. "Where are we going?"

"Fire escape." Scanlan said, pushing open the window. He grinned over his shoulder at her. "You'll see."

Pike followed him out onto the fire escape. In all her visits to Grog's apartment, she'd never been out here before, not even the hellish nights when the air conditioner broke. The view of the street below was beautiful, still glittering with headlights despite it being three in the morning. Pike followed Scanlan up to the next level, and the next, until they reached the top of the building. They had to climb over a small lip to get there, but it only took a push, and then they stood on the roof.

"Welcome," Scanlan said, spreading his arms wide, "to the roof."

Pike examined it. The roof was dirty, cluttered with discarded beer cans and bird crap. A pair of rusty lawn chairs sat by the door, and a tenant had strung out their laundry, tied between two pieces of electrical equipment. The air was calm and cool, though, and they had an incredible view of the city around them, including, in the distance, the glow of Emon's main skyline.

"It's wonderful." Pike said.

Scanlan grinned. "Isn't it? I like to come up here when I can't sleep. Drink a little, sit a little." He sat down on one of the lawn chairs, and it squeaked slightly under his weight. "Come on."

Pike sat down next to him, taking the offered bottle of rum. She tilted her head back, grimacing at its strong taste, and placed the bottle back on the ground in between them. "So how was your gig, really?"

Scanlan shrugged, picking the bottle up. "It was just fine, like I said. No one threw their underthings at me, but I think one woman was considering it."

Pike raised her eyebrows doubtfully. "Hmm."

"How are you liking the apartment so far?" Scanlan asked, settling back in his chair.

Pike shrugged. "Oh, except for Grog's snoring, I'm glad to live here. It's nice to be close to you all."

"Yeah, it is." Scanlan said, passing the bottle of rum back to Pike. Down below them, a taxi slowed to a stop, and a few dark figures emerged. A breeze rattled wind chimes on a balcony across from them, and skittered the empty beer cans across their roof.

"You know what? We should make a rule." Pike said.

"Yeah?"

"While we're on the roof, no bullshit." Pike handed him the bottle. "No pretending to be happy about anything, just the truth."

Scanlan took a sip of rum, eyebrows raised. "There's an idea."

"So how was your gig?" Pike said. "No bullshit."

Scanlan wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, and smiled. "Have I ever told you how much I love how tricky you are? I suppose it's in the name, but-"

"Scanlan." Pike pressed.

"Fine." Scanlan set the bottle back down on the ground. "I've been trying to make it for...fifteen years, almost? Feels like I've spent the last five thinking the next gig was going to be my breakthrough."

"Well, one of them has to be, doesn't it?" Pike said, leaning towards him with her elbows on the armrest of the chair. "The Raven Queens spent years playing in Emon before they got big."

Scanlan shrugged, eyes still on the street. "Maybe it's okay, you know? I wouldn't say I'm an unhappy man. Maybe I'd rather not work at a coffee shop, but life's not bad."

"I'm glad to hear it." Pike said, smiling. She took a sip of the rum. As she placed the bottle back on the ground, Scanlan eyed her.

"So, your turn now, Pikeypants." he said. "How are you liking the move? No bullshit."

Pike sighed, leaning back in her chair. "I love the apartment, and I love you and Grog, and the location, and being near the others."

"But?"

"But..." Pike stared at the building across them, watching the wind chimes sway. "I'm...nervous. For my residency. I don't want to mess up."

"You will." Scanlan said. Pike looked up at him, and he raised a finger. "Like every intern around you, and all the doctors teaching you. You'll learn, and get better."

"I know." Pike said, settling back in her chair. "I don't want to kill anyone. I don't want it to turn out that maybe I shouldn't be a doctor."

"Pike Trickfoot." Scanlan said. "You've spent more time in med school in the past few years than most people spend with their spouses. And you've loved it, for whatever reason. You're going to be a doctor, and you're going to be rich, and you're going to support Grog and I. And as for killing people, just be careful about what you unplug and you'll do fine."

"That's horrible." Pike said, giggling. "Thank you."

"Thank you." Scanlan took a sip of rum.

Pike yawned. "We should do this more often. Whenever we've had a bad day."

"Yeah, I like that." Scanlan said. "Maybe invite some of the others sometime."

"Yeah." Pike yawned again, and rubbed at her eyes. The gentle motion of the traffic below was hypnotic, the whoosh as the bright headlights travelled from one end of the street to the other oddly soothing. Pike settled more comfortably into her lawn chair. "Scanlan?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad we're roommates."

"Me too." Scanlan said. "We need someone to do the dishes here."

* * *

 **(2017)**

Scanlan and Pike didn't say a word on the ride home from the police station. Kima was driving them home in her cruiser, and seemed content to let them sit. Pike didn't know about Scanlan, but she felt too overwhelmed to talk.

The last few hours had been a blur- Allura and Kima escorting her from the room after the slap, the conversation where she'd somehow agreed to this insane plan, all the procedures afterwards to get Scanlan released into her custody, including a thick tracking cuff now around his ankle. Pike had to sign her name in a lot of places confirming she would not aid Scanlan in escaping or any sort of crime, and she would alert the cops immediately if she had any suspicions.

Kima had pulled her aside while Scanlan was going through a search, and reiterated the last part. "Seriously." she'd said. "If he tells you anything, let us know. He's told us nothing."

Pike nodded. The rage had diminished somewhat from the slap, but it was still there, simmering under her skin, intensifying with every new paper she had to sign. It was just like Scanlan to show up again after three years and immediately making her life a complicated mess. "I intend to."

Kima looked over to where Scanlan was sitting with Allura, and lowered her voice. "And see if you can't find his phone. He didn't have it on him when they arrested him, said he's between phones right now, but I think he's stashed it somewhere. If we can find his phone, we might be able to get a lot of information about what he's been up to."

"I will." she'd promised.

Pike sighed, leaning her head against the headrest. If she didn't want so badly to stop her family from hurting other people- well, there was no point in thinking about that now. Her family was her family, and Pike could do something about it, and that took precedence over any hard feelings between her and Scanlan. They wouldn't be living together long, anyways, not if she managed to get her family in town as soon as possible.

She looked over at Scanlan. He was staring out the car window, expression hard to read. If he noticed Pike watching him, he gave no sign. He'd gotten a new scar since he left, underneath his eye, and his hair now reached barely to his shoulders. He dressed differently as well, less assuming, less wild and musical and gaudy, and he no longer had the ever-present earrings in his ears.

He met her eyes, and Pike looked back out the window, barely seeing the streetscape outside. At least she was allowed to tell Vox Machina about what was going on. Kima and Allura hadn't been thrilled, but the Trickfoots knew Vox Machina, they would expect them to be her wedding party, and Vox Machina remembered Scanlan's departure intimately. Pike pulled her phone out of her pocket, toying with it. Somehow, this didn't seem the type of news to text.

After an eternity, Kima slowed, pulling up outside of Pike's apartment building. She cleared her throat, eyes on them in the rearview mirror. "We're here."

"Good, thank you." Pike couldn't quite muster any warmth.

Kima twisted around in her seat. "Allura will contact you in a few days so we can talk more specifics. Until then, if you need anything, just call."

Pike smiled and nodded before climbing out of the car. In the reflection of the front windows, she could see Scanlan following her, glancing around curiously at her tidy apartment building with its neat brick walls and cool gray paint. Pike entered the lobby, heading towards the elevator. She pressed the button and closed her eyes as Scanlan stopped behind her.

"Nice place." he said. "Got an elevator and everything."

"Yep."

Scanlan cleared his throat. "You went blonde. Looks nice."

"Thanks." The elevator dinged as its doors slid open. Pike stepped inside, pressing the button for her floor, and Scanlan followed. As they began to move, Pike stared up at the floor numbers above the door.

"So, we're going to have to pretend to be engaged." Scanlan said. "That might involve talking."

"It just might." Pike said coolly. "But I don't see anyone around right now."

"Fair."

"I'm going to have to tell them you're back, you know."

It was Scanlan's turn to look away. He put his hands in his pockets, examining the floor of the elevator as they dinged up another level. "I know."

"They'll probably want to see you." Pike said. "Since it's been three years. And anyways, my family knows how close we all were. If we're getting married, they have to be there."

Scanlan nodded. "Makes sense."

Pike looked back at the doors, at their blurred reflections beside each other. "It's too late tonight, but I'm gonna tell them tomorrow. They can decide if they want to see you."

Scanlan cleared his throat again. "How...how are they?"

"Fine."

The elevator doors slid open, and Pike stepped out, heading for her door at the end of the hall. She fumbled with the keys for a moment, but after a struggle, she opened the door and led him into her apartment.

As Pike locked the door behind him and placed her keys in the bowl on her kitchen counter, Scanlan walked ahead of her, craning his neck to examine her apartment. It wasn't big, just one bedroom off to the side of a combined living room and kitchen, and a small hallway next to it with laundry machines and a closet. The window in the living room had a nice view of the park across the street, though, and she got plenty of sun during the day.

"Do you have anything?" Pike said, heading for the hall. She pulled down an extra blanket and tossed it onto the couch. "Clothes, toiletries, money, that sort of thing?"

"It's back at my apartment." Scanlan watched her. "Which I am not at liberty to go back to."

Pike turned to face him. "I can talk to Kima and take you there. We can pick up what you need-"

"No." Scanlan said. "Sorry. If I show up there with this..." He shook his foot, rattling the tracker anklet slightly. "Well, they told you why I'm arrested, didn't they?"

"Some." Pike folded her arms. "Your new friends."

Scanlan nodded, dropping his gaze to the couch. "It wouldn't be safe. They might try to interfere with the wedding."

"Right, the wedding." Pike snorted. "I have some money saved up, and they're going to give us funds for this wedding, so maybe we can use some of that money to get you what you need."

"I've got a little money, I had my wallet when they arrested me." Scanlan walked over to the couch, picking up a throw pillow and squeezing it.

"Do I have to take you everywhere, or are you allowed to go shopping?" Pike asked.

Scanlan shrugged and placed the pillow back on the couch. "Not like I can run away." He looked down at the cuff on his ankle. "If I tamper with this, it beeps. Can't take it off. They'll always be watching me."

"Huh." Pike let out a breath, turning around. "Bedroom's through this door, bathroom's on the other side of it, washer and dryer are over in this hall, and the rest you can see for yourself."

Scanlan walked over to the window, peering out. "Nice view."

"Yep." Pike said. She looked around, wondering if there was anything else he needed to know. "I've got work from nine to six every weekday. Sometimes longer if it's a busy season. But the apartment came with a cable plan, so you can watch TV while I'm gone."

"Great, yeah." Scanlan said, turning around to take in her apartment.

"And I'll get the cot from Grog tomorrow." Pike said. "So you won't have to sleep on the couch."

"The cot." Scanlan repeated, not facing her.

"Yep." Pike said. She walked over to the kitchen, pulling open the fridge. She'd had some leftover Thai food she'd been looking forward too all day, back when her life had been normal. Pike pulled it out, placing it in the speckled microwave, and punched in the time. While she waited, she leaned against the counter, back to Scanlan. "I don't know what you're going to have for dinner. There's sandwich stuff in the fridge if you want."

"Pike." Scanlan said, and at his tone, she met his eyes. "It's nice. Thank you. It's more than I deserve."

The microwave beeped, and Pike looked away, pulling out her leftovers, and a fork from one of her drawers. She sat down at one of the tall stools on the counter and dug in hungrily.

Scanlan crossed to the kitchen, opening the fridge. He pulled out a loaf of bread and a package of lunch meat, and some lettuce. After a moment's hesitation, he placed them on the section of the counter furthest away from her.

"Plates?" he asked.

Pike pointed to the cabinet behind him. As Scanlan pulled down a plate and began assembling a sandwich, Pike ate in silence. Her phone on the counter buzzed, displaying several new messages in the group text, as well as a text from Vex, but she dismissed the notifications.

"Is that them?" Scanlan asked, watching her fiddle with her phone.

"Yeah." Pike said. She switched her phone to silent, and put it back in her pocket. She didn't think she had the energy to open that can of worms tonight.

After a few more minutes of quiet, Scanlan finished creating his sandwich, and returned the rest of the ingredients to the fridge. "Knife in the dishwasher?"

"In the sink." Pike said. "The dishwasher is clean. I was going to unload it tonight."

"Noted." Scanlan pushed his sandwich plate across the counter, to the seat furthest away from her. He took the seat carefully, and dug into his food.

After a minute of silence, Pike felt Scanlan's eyes on her. She looked up at him.

Scanlan smiled half-heartedly. "Uh...any access to the roof from here?"

Pike stood immediately, closing the styrofoam takeout container and walking back around the counter. She tossed her fork in the sink with a little more force than was necessary.

"Pike-"

Pike shook her head, pulling open the fridge and shoving the takeout container back inside. "I'm tired. Knock if you need to use the restroom."

"Good night." Scanlan said.

"Good night." Pike said coldly, walking past him. As soon as she'd closed the door behind her, she flopped onto her bed, burying her face in her hands.

Her phone buzzed again, and Pike pulled it out of her pocket. Grog had sent her a picture of a drink he'd made that he was particularly proud of. He'd been experimenting with mixing drinks lately.

Pike smiled slightly, texting back a compliment. After a moment, she added _hey, can i come over to the gym tomorrow? need to spar_

 _YES get ready_ Grog replied, followed by several muscle emojis. Pike sighed, and placed her phone on the bedside table. At least she could always count on Grog to be there when she needed him.

Unlike some others.

* * *

 **A/N: Next up: Scanlan writes a song, and Pike makes chicken for dinner.**


	3. The Guitar

**(late 2014)**

On one of her days off in mid October, Pike awoke to someone tuning a violin. She placed the pillow over her head. No way was Scanlan ruining one of her rare opportunities to get a full night of sleep.

An hour later, she woke again to the sound of harmonica music. Pike groaned, and grabbed her phone to check the time. Grog's bed was empty, meaning he was already at work. Pike rolled out of her bed, neatened the sheets and pillows, and padded out to the living area. Scanlan wasn't around, but harmonica music wafted out from his door. She shook her head as she walked into the bathroom.

When Pike had showered and changed, she headed back into the kitchen for breakfast. After a moment, Scanlan's door opened, and he walked out. He was carrying his guitar, harmonica on a strap around his neck.

Pike smiled. "Good morning."

"Good morning." Scanlan flopped down on the couch and sighed loudly.

Pike knew what that was code for. As she spread butter onto a slice of bread, she asked, "Something the matter?"

"I can't decide which songs to play for Halloweenfest." Scanlan said. "They want a setlist by the end of the day today."

"Hmm." Pike said. She pulled out a plate, set an orange on it, and then placed her bread in the toaster. As it ticked away, Pike sat on one of their kitchen chairs, facing him. "Well, people want to dance at Halloweenfest. You should do something high-energy." Scanlan nodded, staring into space, and she snapped her fingers. "Hey, wake up. I'm trying to help you out."

Scanlan immediately smiled at her. "Yeah, yeah, of course, sorry."

"Your music is good." Pike said. "And even if it wasn't, it's fun, and people will be drunk. I think you'll do great."

"Of course I will." Scanlan said. "I just don't know which of my genius to dazzle them with, that's all."

The toaster dinged. Pike shook her head, crossing to the toaster. "You know, one day I'll believe you when you say that and decide you're a massive dick."

"You wouldn't be wrong." Scanlan said.

Pike wrinkled her nose, sitting back down with her toast and orange. "It's too early for that."

Scanlan winked at her in response. As she ate her toast, he picked out a tune on his guitar, one Pike hadn't heard before. Pike closed her eyes, listening. The melody was perfect for the quiet morning, the easy familiarity of their conversation, the peace Pike felt at finally getting a day off. Scanlan sang something low under his breath, words indistinguishable, but his tone tugged at something in Pike.

After he finished, Pike began peeling her orange. "What was that? That sounded nice."

"New song I've been working on." Scanlan said. "Still figuring out the lyrics."

"It was a good song." Pike said. "You should put that on your setlist."

Scanlan smiled self-consciously. "It won't be ready for Halloweenfest. I've gotta workshop it."

Pike shrugged. "Up to you. But play it for me when the lyrics are done, I want to hear it."

"Yeah, yeah, sure." Scanlan said, but he seemed distracted again.

Pike leaned forward, biting into her orange. "I think you'll be great. You've been getting more well-known lately. You got recognized at the grocery store last week, remember? And you've got so many Twitter followers."

Scanlan laughed. "I think my tweeting skills may be better than my songwriting."

"It's all the same." Pike said. "You'll be fine. Just play some of your most popular songs, play some covers of upbeat songs, everyone will have a good time. You're good at that."

Scanlan smiled and returned to his guitar playing, this time popping his harmonica in his mouth and adding a new, interlocking melody with the same guitar chords. Pike closed her eyes again, nodding along, taking bites of her orange.

A cheerful electronic tune startled them out of the moment- Pike's ringtone. Her phone lit up, flashing an unknown number.

"Who is it?" Scanlan asked.

Pike shrugged. "Dunno. Might be work." She accepted the call and lifted the phone to her ear. "You've reached Pike Trickfoot."

Scanlan chuckled at her professional tone, and Pike made a face at him.

"Pike?"

Pike frowned. The voice sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. "Yes, who is calling?"

"Pike, i-it's JB."

"JB?" Pike stood, making her way into her and Grog's room and closing the door. "Hi, it's been- years. How are you doing?"

"I'm all right. It's good to hear from you. I just wanted to-"

In the background, Pike could hear a loud female voice saying, "Let me talk to her, gimme the phone."

"Okay." JB said, and then someone loudly smacking gum was on the other end. "Hey, Pike, it's your aunt."

"Aunt Astra?" Pike asked. "Hi, how are-"

"We got your number from Facebook." Astra said. "I hope that's alright with you."

"Yeah, that's fine. What-"

""Look, we feel like it's been way too long since we've all seen each other." Astra said. "We thought maybe we'd come down to Emon for a few days, see you, see the city, catch up for a while. That sound good?"

"Uh, I'll have to talk to my roommates." Pike said, sitting down on Grog's bed. "We don't have much room in our apartment."

There was silence on the other end, and Pike couldn't help but feel guilty. She knew her parents were rotten, but Astra and Johann had taken her in after her parents left, until she was six. JB had even been her best friend in preschool. "I'm sure they'll agree." Pike added. "It has been a while."

"Great!" Astra said immediately. "We're going to bring your great-uncle Ogden, too, remember him? He misses you a lot, he's been following your career on Facebook, we're all very proud of you."

"Thank you."

"All right, so I'll call you back later to figure out dates and get your address, does that work? We'll probably want to come around the end of October." Astra said. "Maybe you can talk to JB some more then, too."

"All right, sure." said Pike. "Good to talk to you."

"Good to talk to you, too. Bye." There was a click on the other end.

Pike lowered her phone, staring at it. As she mechanically created a new contact for JB in her phone, she tried to process what had just happened.

When she returned to the room, it was to find Scanlan with a flute in hand, flipping through several sheets of music. "Who was it?" he asked absentmindedly.

"Um. My family." Pike said, taking her seat at the breakfast table.

"Wilhand?"

Pike shook her head. "Not him, the other family."

At that, Scanlan looked up. "I thought it was just Wilhand."

"Nope." Pike folded her arms. "I lived with them before Wilhand. They want to come and stay for a few nights towards the end of October. Four of them, it sounds like- my aunt, uncle, cousin, and great-uncle."

"What's the matter?" Scanlan asked. "They're your family, I'm sure they'll be wonderful."

"They're...not, really." Pike rubbed the back of her head. "Or they weren't. That's what Grandpa always said. I guess they could take the couch, the cot, and maybe we could borrow some sleeping bags from Vex, and I need to talk to Grog-" She stopped. "Are you okay with this? It'll be crowded."

"Yeah, it's only a few days." said Scanlan. "Are you okay with this? We could say no, if you want."

Pike shook her head. "No, it's fine. Just don't leave your wallet out while they're around, and tell Grog or I if they try anything."

"We'll keep an eye on them." Scanlan said, and then he grinned. "You know, beating up your relatives was the exact reason I learned self-defense."

"Oh yeah." Pike said, rolling her eyes. "That's why Grog and I had to nag you into it." Her phone buzzed again, and she picked it up, looking at the display. "Keyleth wants to know if we're free to come over. She and Percy both are off today."

Scanlan set down his flute and scribbled something on one of his music sheets. "I should be. Don't have to work until 5 today."

"Better get that setlist done first." Pike stood, taking her plate over to the kitchen sink.

Scanlan pulled out his phone, smiling. "Will do."

* * *

 **(2017)**

The apartment was silent after Vax and Keyleth left. Pike slumped at the dining table, head in hands.

"Well, that went better than I thought." Scanlan said.

Pike lifted her head, looking at him. Grog had stormed out first, after several minutes of stilted conversation. Pike had gone after him, but he'd just shook his head, muttering "This is bullshit", before leaving. He did bring the cot over, at , the twins and Keyleth tried to keep the conversation going, but Scanlan's continued evasiveness eventually resulted in Percy snapping excuses about some business emergency, and Vex and Trinket following him out. Vax and Keyleth stayed for the rest of the meal, forcing a polite conversation in between long minutes of silence. Now, even they had left, and Pike was left with a mountain of dirty dishes and a throbbing headache.

Pike stood, shoving back her chair, and began clearing dishes off of the table. She'd made roast chicken especially for tonight, even bought a bottle of wine, but now it was obvious they were going to have leftovers. Not that Pike was complaining- she had a feeling this was the kind of night that could only be fixed with a lot of wine.

"Let me help." Scanlan said, standing. "Do you have a broom?"

Pike set her stack of dishes down on the counter, and pointed towards the laundry closet. "With the other cleaning supplies."

"Thanks." called Scanlan as he disappeared into the alcove.

Pike continued carrying dishes from the table to the counter, scraping any remains of food into the trashcan on the way. She pulled out some of her tupperware from the cabinets, and placed the rest of the chicken inside. The salad might be good for one more night if she put foil over it, and she hadn't even gotten out the ice cream before they'd left. Pike poured herself a full glass of wine and began methodically rinsing her dishes.

Scanlan returned with the broom. He leaned it against a wall. "I'm going to wipe down the table first."

"Okay."

Scanlan crossed to stand next to her, and it took Pike a moment to realize he was waiting to get into the cabinet under the sink, where she kept her dishrags. Pike stepped back immediately, and Scanlan squatted down, opening the cabinet. He brushed up against her while he was digging for the rags, and Pike flinched. She didn't think they'd had any physical contact since the night before he'd left, not beyond the slap.

For a few minutes, they cleaned in silence. Pike finished loading the dishwasher and began washing pots and pans, while Scanlan wiped down the table and swept up the floor. The longer the silence wore on, the more it gnawed at Pike, particularly when Scanlan began to whistle a cheery tune from the radio. She turned on the water to higher levels and slammed the cabinets shut as she put things away, but it was still there, the same silence since he'd returned.

"Why won't you-" She bit her question back and returned to scrubbing her cutting board.

Scanlan paused in his sweeping. "What?"

Pike shook her head, but she could still feel him watching her. After a moment, she turned, folding her arms and leaning against the counter. "Why won't you tell us where you were?"

Scanlan rubbed his chin. "I- can't really do that."

"You can't explain?" Pike said. She hated him for the way he wouldn't meet her eyes. "Can't tell us why you vanished for three years?"

At her tone, he did make eye contact. "It's not about me."

Pike swallowed her response. Instead, she picked up a towel, drying her cutting board with a little more force than necessary.

"Pike..."

"Who is it about, then?" Pike asked. "The woman we found you with, the one from Halloweenfest? Kaylie?" The twins had gone looking, after the first few days, when their only word on why Scanlan had disappeared was a few texts assuring them of his safety and saying an abrupt goodbye. Percy and the twins had worried he wasn't really in possession of his phone. And then Vex found him, in a ratty apartment building across town. Scanlan didn't opened the door- a short-haired woman as diminutive as him did, and when she called Scanlan to the door, he repeated the things he'd said in his texts. And after a fight when he came to pick up his things, that was that.

Scanlan winced at the sound of 'the woman'. "Pike, it's not...she wasn't..."

Pike watched him for a moment, waiting for him to elaborate. When he didn't, she made a noise of frustration in the back of her throat and returned to drying.

"I want to tell you all what happened." Scanlan said finally. "I owe everyone an explanation. But I can't."

Pike raised her eyebrows at him. "No bullshit?" Scanlan didn't respond. Pike shook her head, hanging the dishtowel on the oven.

"Believe me, this isn't the way I wanted to come back." Scanlan said after a moment. He hadn't resumed sweeping.

Pike leaned against the oven, holding his gaze. "So you wanted to come back?"

Her phone chose that inopportune moment to start ringing, and Scanlan broke eye contact, returning to his sweeping. Pike bit her lip, but her frustration melted away when she saw the name on the phone screen. She answered immediately. "Hey, JB."

"Hi." her cousin said on the other end, quiet as always. "I got your call this afternoon. You wanted to talk?"

"Yeah." Pike stepped forward, resting her elbows on the kitchen counter. "I've got- I've got kind of big news. I'm- I'm getting married." It was the first time Pike had said the words aloud, and they didn't taste pleasant.

"Married?" JB asked. "Oh, con- congratulations. Who is it?"

"You know him, actually." Pike said. Scanlan was watching her, so she turned around, facing her fridge. "Scanlan Shorthalt. Remember? You met him the last time you were here."

JB was briefly silent at the mention of last time, but when she spoke again, she sounded cheerful. "Oh, him. Y-yeah, I do. We all kind of thought there was something going on there, or at least, Mum and Dad did."

Pike wrinkled her nose. She certainly remembered that part of the visit. "Yeah, well, you can tell them they're right. But that's not why I'm calling. Um..." Pike took a breath, forcing herself to sound casual. "I...I want you to be one of my bridesmaids." JB didn't speak for a moment. "I know...I know we haven't talked in awhile, but I have so little family, you know? It would be good to have you at my wedding. And your parents, and Uncle Ogden if they want to come. Grandpa's getting old, and I want to see everyone before..."

It took JB a moment to speak up again. "Uh, yeah, that sounds, that sounds fine. I'll have to ask Mum and Dad about it, but I want to see you, too."

Pike smiled slightly."Well, good. There's going to be fittings and things that I'll need you for, but I'll give you those dates later. And don't tell anyone yet. We wanted to tell family and close friends before we put anything on Facebook about our relationship."

"Okay." JB said. "I will. No, uh, I mean, I won't. Congratulations again."

"Thank you." Pike said, and they said their goodbyes. Pike set her phone on the counter. Scanlan was still sweeping, but he was watching her.

"Did she buy it?" he asked.

"Yeah, she did." Pike said. "We're going to have a wedding."

Scanlan nodded. "We're going to have a wedding."

Pike crossed to her bedroom doorway, and then turned around, facing Scanlan. "We're meeting with Kima and Allura on Tuesday. So we can talk about specifics."

Scanlan shrugged. "Fine by me. I'll just be sitting in the apartment until then."

Pike folded her arms. "Maybe I can see if Grog still has your old guitar. Give you something to do."

"He kept it?" Scanlan asked. "Why?"

"I think he thought you were coming back." Pike was pleased to see a flicker of guilt in his eyes. "Need help with the cot?"

"Uh, no, I remember how it works." Scanlan said. "Good night, Pike."

Pike took in the sight of him, standing in her living area with a broom. Even after twenty-four hours, she wasn't sure if she believed it. "Good night, Scanlan."

* * *

 **A/N: Next up: Everyone asks too many questions.**


	4. Friends

**(early 2012)**

Pike thought it was a joke, at first.

She was drinking at Grog's apartment one night, taking a break from her medical studies with him, Scanlan, and the twins. Vex and Vax she'd met a few weeks ago- they lived across the hall from Scanlan and Grog, and Vex even worked at the same gym as Grog. Supposedly Vax had come to the gym to pick his sister up, recognized Grog, and asked him over for a movie night, and Grog had invited Scanlan along and they'd all had a great time. Pike didn't know the exact details, but she did know Vax seemed fixated by Grog's muscular frame, and Grog, as usual, was completely oblivious. Still, the twins were fun, quick-witted and engaging, and Pike enjoyed getting to know them. It didn't hurt that Vex had an adorable dog named Trinket.

Deep in their first hour of drinking, Vex leaned forward on the couch, scratching Trinket's neck. "So what about you three?"

"What about us?" Grog said.

"Are you all with anyone?" Vex gestured beside her at Vax. "My brother's just told you all about his soppy breakup, turnabout is fair play."

Pike, Grog, and Scanlan glanced at each other. Pike laughed self-consciously. "Well, I try, but medical school takes up a lot of time..."

"Really?" Scanlan asked. "You're single?"

Pike shrugged. "It's because of this overprotective brother I have, he drives them all away." She punched Grog in the arm.

"And the rest of you?" Vex asked.

Scanlan grinned, leaning back into the couch. "Well, define 'single'." The others groaned. "See, I have many paramours, but none that could be defined as a relationship-"

"Paramours?" Vax repeated, wrinkling his nose.

Pike had known Scanlan only a little longer than Vex and Vax, but she still stood by her first impression that he was one of the strangest people she'd ever met. "That's a good word. I suppose I've had a few paramours of my own before."

Scanlan winked at her. "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah, I've got some of the para-thingy." Grog said. "Scanlan and I are always wingmanning for the ladies. And sometimes men, for Scanlan."

"Very interesting." Vex sipped from her beer, glancing over at Vax. "Very, very interesting."

"Is it?" Grog asked. "I mean, we're all single, that's not that interesting."

"We're all somewhat young, fairly attractive people." Scanlan said. "We should all be dating by now. Hey, Pike, you want to fix that? Maybe we could go out for dinner sometime?"

"What?" Pike asked, reddening, as the rest of the group laughed. Scanlan winked at her again, and she shook her head. "I think you should find someone else to fix that for you."

After that, however, he kept it up. He became much more touchy-feely, hugging her whenever she arrived at Grog's apartment, placing a hand on her shoulder casually in conversation, sitting next to her more often than not, and making comments ranging from subtle to blatant. It was silly, more than anything. She didn't think she returned his feelings, and she didn't want a reason to avoid Grog's apartment or the twins. So she kept him at arm's length, laughing his comments off with the rest of the group or shaking her head in disapproval, and Scanlan continued.

One night, on impulse, they went bowling. They'd all pitched in for a pitcher of cheap beer from the minibar, and they passed it around in between turns. The twins both proved incredible bowlers, especially Vex. She dominated the rest of them easily, by double digits.

Grog let out a growl of frustration as his ball hit the gutter for the fiftieth time. "Dammit! The balls don't have holes big enough for my fingers!"

"There's a lot to unpack in that sentence." Vax said around a sip of beer.

"You've just got to throw it more lightly." Vex stepped up beside him as he grabbed another ball, and mimed the motions. "Focus on aim, not on power."

Grog watched her go through the motions, and carefully followed her example. Unfortunately, he wasn't looking at the lane while he did it, and his ball bounced into the lane beside them, and rolled directly into its gutter. Grog swore, and stomped back to his seat beside Pike.

"Stupid bowling balls." he muttered.

Pike rubbed his arm. "That's why this isn't a real sport."

"Yeah, if it were, I'd be good at it." Grog muttered.

Vax raised his eyebrows. "I take offence to that."

"Guess it's my turn, then." Scanlan said, standing and rubbing his hands on his thighs. "How about it, Pike, a kiss for luck?" Vax and Vex laughed.

"Now, why would I?" Pike asked, folding her arms. "You and I are competing for third right now."

Scanlan pressed a hand to his chest. "Oh, Pikeypoo, you wouldn't let a silly thing like a game get in between our friendship, would you?"

"Friends don't kiss each other." Grog said.

Vex tapped her lips. "Depends on the friend." Vax grimaced. "Oh, don't make that face, brother, I've watched you kiss way too many of your friends."

"Then we should make it the new norm." Scanlan said. "Society places way too much restriction on being physically affectionate with your friends. We could start a revolution right now."

Pike shook her head, amused. "I don't think so."

"All right." Scanlan said, shrugging, and proceeded to bowl the worst round he'd bowled all night.

As Pike walked up to replace him, she patted him on the shoulder. "See? Now I still have a shot at keeping third."

"Kiss for condolences?" Scanlan asked sorrowfully.

Pike wrapped an arm around him and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm sorry for beating you." she said, pulling away, and Grog barked out a laugh.

"She's beating you, too." Vax pointed out.

Grog gave him a sullen look. "Doesn't matter. If Pike wins, I win, right?"

"Absolutely." Pike said. "And then Scanlan has to buy us all drinks."

Scanlan shook his head. "You are quite the woman."

"Stop hitting on her, let her bowl!" Vex called, and Scanlan sat back down.

He kept cracking those little jokes, always out of the blue. Pike thought they were jokes, anyways. He was not his usual jolly self when she brought a girl she'd been dating to the apartment one night, and when they were alone and he made those jokes, he wasn't smiling. Vex picked up on it, too, and she and Pike had a bewildering conversation one day while grabbing lunch.

Still, Pike met more than one of Scanlan's 'paramours', so she had a hard time believing he meant what he said. She hated it, sometimes. Scanlan fascinated her, and Pike didn't want their friendship to be reduced to dirty jokes. Also, he lived with Grog, so she couldn't exactly avoid him.

They were friends, that's all, and that was all she wanted them to be.

* * *

 **(2017)**

Wilhand lived in a small apartment complex in the poorer part of town, on the second floor. Pike visited whenever she could, and she liked the staff, as they helped look after him while she couldn't. He steadfastly refused to go to any sort of retirement home despite being nearly ninety. She knew from her great-uncle Ogden that dementia ran in the Trickfoot family, but, so far, despite showing signs, Wilhand managed on his own.

She waved to the worker behind the front desk and climbed the cold concrete stairs to the second floor. Wilhand's door hung ajar. Before knocking, Pike glanced around, looking for security cameras, but found none.

"Hello?" Wilhand called.

"Grandpa." Pike said, pushing the door open. "It's me."

"Oh, bless you, child." Wilhand said immediately. His apartment was tiny, and best described as organized chaos. His belongings cluttered his kitchen, his living room, his bedroom, everywhere, from strange as-seen-on-television kitchen gadgets to books and paintings of saints, and yet Pike had never known Wilhand to lose a hair on his head. Whenever he'd needed something, he'd always gotten up and grabbed it with no ceremony whatsoever. Wilhand made his way to the door, dodging around a few boxes, and hugged Pike tightly.

Pike hugged him back. Everything looked normal, down to a teapot heating on the stove. "How long ago was the break-in?" she asked.

Wilhand let go of her, turning around to examine his apartment. "Just a few hours ago. I called the police. I tried to call you earlier but I remembered you were at work."

"Oh, you could've called for this." Pike said, stepping up beside him. "This is an emergency."

Wilhand shook his finger. "Not for your work. You're doing very good work, you are. And they were gone by the time I got home and found the door open, I wasn't in any danger."

"I'm glad." Pike said. "So where is the stuff that was moved?"

Wilhand took her into the living room, following the path through the boxes. Pike readily believed everything had stayed the same for twenty years- the boxes had worn imprints into the carpet around them, and the room smelled strongly of dust.

"In here!" Wilhand called, and Pike followed him into his dim bedroom, its curtains letting in a whisper of the streetlamps outside. Wilhand reached up towards a high shelf, fumbling with a hefty box.

"Here, Grandpa, I got it." Pike said, grabbing the box. She nearly dropped it, but managed to maneuver it onto the ground with a grunt. Tape on the outside of the box proclaimed it FAMILY.

"Yes, that's the one." Wilhand said. "It was crooked on my shelf."

"Crooked?"

"Not only that." Wilhand pointed at the top of the box. The flaps were open slightly, tape hanging off. "I tape them up tight, you know I do, but look. They didn't believe me, those police-"

"What's in here?" Pike asked. She pulled open the box, rifling through it. "Anything valuable?"

Wilhand, after a moment, shook his head. "Not much. A lot of old photographs, some things of sentimental value from when my brother and I were children, that's all. I don't know why anyone would want it."

"Was anything else disturbed?"

Wilhand put his hands on his hips, scowling at the rest of the room. "None that I saw, but I may not have looked deeply enough yet. I don't know if you've noticed, but I have a lot of things in here."

Pike laughed as she continued looking through the box. Its contents were packed in haphazardly, reaching the brim, but it looked as valuable as Wilhand said.

"Oh." Wilhand said, sounding surprised. Pike looked up- he was staring at her. "Is there something you wanted to tell your grandfather about?"

For a moment, Pike's mind went blank, before remembering the ring on her finger. She and Scanlan had bought them after their meeting with Kima and Allura, as well as making an announcement on Facebook. Scanlan hadn't posted on social media in years, and Pike rarely posted about her personal life, so they hoped their engagement would be plausible. "Oh, yes, this. Um, I've been trying to call you, Grandpa, but you didn't pick up."

"You could always visit." Wilhand walked over to her, picking up her hand and examining the ring. "Very nice. But why haven't you brought him over to meet your grandfather?" He patted her hands.

Pike smiled, hating lying. Kima and Allura had forbid telling him, however, due to both Wilhand's deteriorating mental state and his family relations. "Oh, but you've met him already. We've been friends for a long time. Scanlan, remember?"

"Scanlan." Wilhand said. He stared into space, remembering. "Ah, yes, your...roommate, wasn't he? I haven't seen him in a long time."

"Yes, he's been very busy." Pike said. "He was in the middle of a career change. Haven't I mentioned him to you? I thought I had."

"Perhaps." Wilhand said, nodding after a moment. "Perhaps. Well, that is very good news! I am always glad to see you happy. And I'll be expecting an invitation to your wedding."

"Of course, Grandpa." Pike said.

"Oh! And there's another thing." He walked out of the bedroom, into the living room, muttering under his breath. Pike followed him warily as he glanced around the living room. "Now where did I put it...Pike, do you remember my bank information?"

"I got it, Grandpa." Pike said. Wilhand steadfastly refused to keep his bank information in a convenient place, so Pike always had it written down and with her for whenever he called.

Pike dug the notecard out of her wallet and handed it to him, and Wilhand blinked at it. "Ah, yes, this is what I was looking for. Child, you know the Trickfoots were once wealthy, don't you?"

"Yes, Grandpa." Pike said. Wilhand had told her the story multiple times- how generations ago, they had been loaded, owning a successful rail business, but then, due to the corruption of the son who took it over, they lost everything.

Wilhand grinned at her. "Well, I've still got a little souvenir in the bank, something they didn't sell off when we lost it all. Passed down from mother to daughter, to me when I married your grandmother, since Ogden and I had no sisters. Your mother never got them, because she never had a wedding, but she would have."

"What is the souvenir, Grandpa?" Pike prompted.

Wilhand blinked, and met her eyes again. "The Trickfoot family jewelry. A necklace and a set of earrings with real diamonds in them, made at the height of our wealth. Trickfoot brides have always worn them at their weddings, and it seems you're their next owner." He tucked the bank card into a pocket, and walked to the kitchen, taking the teapot off the stove. "I have to say, I think you're a better owner than your mother, I think she would've sold them years ago."

Pike followed him, throat constricting with guilt. "Oh, no, Grandpa, I don't need to wear the heirlooms. What if something happens to them? And we don't know how formal-"

"Nonsense." Wilhand turned, handing her a cup of tea. Pike took it and sat down at his tiny kitchen table. "They're meant to be worn by Trickfoot brides. I'm sure whatever you and this Scanlan are planning, they will go suit you." He finished preparing his own cup of tea and sat down across from her, taking a sip. "It's your wedding day, dear. You only get one of those. You deserve the best."

Pike smiled down at her cup of tea, guilt twisting in her gut. Maybe she ought to tell him.

Although he hadn't questioned her when she claimed she'd been dating Scanlan this whole time. And if she told him, and he accidentally let something slip, this whole sting would be for nothing.

"So, how did this Scanlan fellow ask for your hand?" Wilhand said.

Pike looked back up at him, preparing her lie.

* * *

She returned to her apartment late. Her window was dark, and no light came from the strip under the doorway. Pike almost felt disappointed as she quietly unlocked her door.

Moonlight shone faintly into her living room, and her eyes took a moment to adjust. Scanlan sprawled on the cot, tangled in the sheets, still wearing his day clothes. His guitar rested on the couch next to him, the television remote discarded on the side table.

For a moment, Pike stood in the doorway, holding the door ajar, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest. Unexpectedly, tears welled up in her eyes. She let the door slide shut, and leaned against it, covering her mouth in one hand to muffle her hitching breaths. She hadn't cried over Scanlan since the first few months after his disappearance, but somehow, seeing him asleep on the cot brought it all back. Pike took a few deep breaths, stifling her tears, not wanting to wake Scanlan up. She had just managed to get in under control when she dropped her keys on the counter, and Scanlan twitched and let out a breath. Pike froze, hurriedly wiping at her eyes.

"Pike?" Scanlan asked, half-asleep, sounding much too familiar.

Pike sniffed, wiping at her nose. "I'm going to bed, go back to sleep."

Scanlan sat up, and for a moment she worried he heard something in her voice. "Was Wilhand alright?"

"Yeah, nothing was taken, he's fine." Pike said. "I told him about the wedding. He wants to give me some family heirlooms."

"We'll be marrying in style, then." said Scanlan.

"He didn't question that I haven't mentioned you in three years." Pike said. "He just thought he forgot we were dating."

Scanlan didn't respond, and Pike sighed. "I'm going to bed." She placed her purse on the counter and walked towards her bedroom door. At the doorway, she paused. Scanlan hadn't responded, but she could still feel him watching her. Pike looked back at him. "We should get you a set of keys tomorrow." she said.

"Thanks." Scanlan said, after a moment's pause.

"And we need to look at wedding planning." Pike continued. "I thought you could handle that, while I'm at work. It'll give you something to do."

"Yeah, that's alright with me." Scanlan said. "Always wanted to plan a big wedding."

Pike looked down at her feet. Outside, a siren wailed down the street. "We should get you a key by the time my family comes." she said, and walked into her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

As Pike readied herself for bed, she wiped at her eyes again, trying to rid her face of all evidence of tears. It was so silly of her, Scanlan was a dick and Scanlan was back. She had nothing to cry over now.

* * *

 **Next up: Conversations about food, and the Trickfoots arrive.**


	5. Arrivals

**(late 2014)**

Pike paced through her apartment, checking for the thousandth time that everything was clean and all the valuables hidden away. It didn't help her stress levels that the apartment was much more noisy than usual. Her nonbiological family had all somehow managed to get a moment off from their ever-shifting work schedules to fit themselves into the apartment, and they all sat around, talking and drinking. Vex's sleeping bags were crammed into a corner, Vex and Grog sprawled on the couch. Trinket curled up in front of Vex's legs, thumping his tail every time anyone walked by. Scanlan sat backwards in one of the seats at the kitchen table, typing something on his phone. He'd been on his phone near constantly, lately.

"Pike." Vex said, grabbing Pike's arm as she paced towards the window again. "Relax. It'll be fine. We're keeping an eye on them."

"I just want to make sure everything's clean." Pike said.

Vax, over at the kitchen cooking with Keyleth, scoffed. "If what you've told us is true, Pickle, they're not going to care how clean you are."

"And it is clean." Keyleth added. She ducked around Vax's arm to get a spoonful of the pasta sauce he was making. Vax swatted at her, his eyes crinkled up into a smile.

"Gross." Vex said from the couch. "You two, remember, don't make it too good, all right? And Pike, it's better if your apartment's not too clean. We don't want them to get comfortable here."

"I still don't know why you didn't let me pick out the menu for tonight." Grog muttered.

Scanlan looked up at him. "Grog, do you remember the dinner we had last time it was your turn to cook? Because I do, very vividly, and I never want to eat that again."

"This from the man who always makes chicken." Grog said. "Every single night it's your turn."

Pike nodded. "Yeah, I prefer peanut butter on turkey legs to roast chicken, again."

Scanlan held up his hands. "I'm perfecting the recipe. My roast chicken is a hell of a lot better than Pike's lasagna."

Pike folded her arms. "It wasn't that bad."

Vex, watching the bickering, shook her head. "I don't know how you three have survived as roommates for so long without starving."

"They steal our food." Keyleth said, turning away from the stovetop.

Grog nodded. "That, plus TV dinners."

Before anyone responded, the door rattled with a knock, and Trinket barked loudly. Pike walked slowly to the door, dodging around Trinket. When she opened it, however, she found Percy on the other side.

He blinked at them, leaning down to scratch Trinket's head. "I thought I might find you all here. Sorry for my tardiness, got held up at work. The library servers went down right when I was about to leave."

Vex kicked at Grog's legs. "Grog, move over. C'mere, you. Trinket!"

Percy sat down between Grog and Vex, looking around the room, as Trinket ran towards Vex. "Do we know when they're going to arrive?"

"Any minute." said Pike, pulling out her phone to check the time. "They were supposed to be here ten minutes ago."

"Just gives us more time to finish the spaghetti." Keyleth called over her shoulder. "Although I hope they get here before it gets cold."

Pike's phone buzzed, the number Aunt Astra had given her flashing on the screen.

"You want us to go down with you?" asked Vex.

Pike shook her head. "I'll be fine." She put the phone up to her ear. "Hello, Aunt Astra?"

"Hi, Pike." Aunt Astra was chewing gum again, the smacking sound loud over the phone. "I think we're here at- Greyskull apartments, right? We're standing outside, right now."

Pike hurried over to the window, looking out. Four short figures stood out on the sidewalk, surrounded by a pile of bags.

"Hello? Did you hear me?"

"Yeah, I'll come down and get you." Pike said. "See you in a minute." She hung up the phone, and turned to the group. "Grog, I might need you to come with me. They have a lot of bags."

* * *

 **(2017)**

"Hey, Pike." Scanlan said. "Where are you headed?"

It was Saturday afternoon, marking over a week since Scanlan had arrived back in her life. Pike had woken up early for her usual workout with Grog, and returned to the apartment for a shower to find Scanlan stirring after a long night of television. After the shower, Pike had pulled her blonde hair back into a ponytail and changed into the usual clothes she wore for shifts at the Slayer's Cake- jeans, utility boots, and an old college t-shirt, with perpetual icing stains all over it.

Pike swallowed a spiteful reply. "To meet up with the others at the new dessert shop we opened. I help out there sometimes on the weekends."

"Can I come with you?" Scanlan asked.

Pike met his eyes. "Are you sure?"

"I'm kinda bored." Scanlan said, getting off the couch. "I barely left the house all week."

Pike shrugged, turning away. "There's a few coffee shops around here, and some good bars."

Scanlan chuckled. "You think I could go to any of those while you're at work without Kima and Allura assuming I'm out dealing drugs?"

"Would they be right?" Pike asked.

Scanlan hesitated. "Pike, about that-" He looked down at the couch. "I don't want you thinking I'm some drug baron or something. I'm not. I have nothing to do with all of that."

"Oh, I don't care." Pike said, but she leaned against the counter, watching him.

"And I didn't want to get involved with it in the first place." Scanlan said. "There were- other circumstances."

"Such as?" Pike prompted. Scanlan didn't respond. "What are you involved in, anyways, if not drugs?"

Scanlan's gaze sharpened. He smiled, his stage smile. "Nothing that Kima and Allura would find interesting, I promise you." He stood. "And you can tell them that, next time they ask."

Pike reddened at the accusation in his tone. "Fine." she said. "Come with me to the Slayer's Cake." She picked up her purse off the table, zipping it finally shut.

"Fine." Scanlan said, crossing next to her and grabbing his own key off of the counter. "That sounds like fun."

"Fine." Pike snapped back. "Make sure to lock up behind you, so we know the key works."

"Fine, I will." Scanlan said.

Pike held his gaze. They'd fought before, more than once, over silly things like whose turn it was to do the dishes, or big things like her family. Usually, though, when they reached this point, Scanlan would pull a face, or a make a joke, or she would apologize, and the tension would ease almost immediately.

This time, neither relented. Pike huffed a sigh through her nose and pulled the door open, half-wanting to slam the door in his sorry face.

She'd have to spar again with Grog tomorrow. They'd already worked out that morning, but clearly, with Scanlan back in her apartment, no amount of exercise would be enough.

* * *

They arrived at the Slayer's Cake thirty minutes before noon, when the lunch rush usually started. Scanlan gaped up at the little building, and Pike smiled. The bakery, as always, was a bright spot in the buildings around it, with cheerful yellow paint around a well-lit display window, and a sharp electric sign making it pop. She and Vex and Keyleth had put a lot of work into the place when they'd first opened it, and she loved how it turned out.

"Didn't believe me?" Pike asked.

"Of course I believed you." Scanlan said absently, but his eyes remained on the shop.

"I painted most of the front wall." Pike said. "Keyleth and I picked out the color together. And we got Percy to help design our logo." She pointed up at the electric sign over the door, proclaiming the restaurant's name. "That cost most of our earnings for the first six months. We just started making a profit a few months ago."

"It's very eye catching." said Scanlan. "How did I not know this place existed?"

Pike bit back the obvious answer, and pushed open the door with a jingle of its bells. Scanlan followed her inside, still examining every part of the store as though memorizing it. Pike was pleased to see more customers than usual today, scattered around the tables or waiting in line at the counter. Vex, Tary, and Hilda were rapidly taking orders, although Vex found a moment to wave at Pike when she came in.

Pike grabbed Scanlan's arm, pulling him to the back of the line. "C'mon. You should buy something. I recommend the cream puffs, we've been working on a new recipe for them and they're very tasty."

"Uh, thanks." Scanlan said, looking down at her hand on his arm.

Pike dropped her hand, and folded her arms as they shuffled forward in line. After a moment, she added, "Percy and Vex have an apartment above the store. Tary lives with them- oh yeah, that blonde guy behind the counter, that's Tary, Taryon Darrington. He got us started. He sort of forced his way in, but he's been very helpful."

Tary looked up at Pike's gaze, and sent a big smile and a wave her way.

"Sounds like a good man." Scanlan said quietly, eyes on Tary.

Pike nodded. "He donated most of the funds to get us running. His dad's a big businessman over in Wildmount."

"Hey, Pickle." a voice said, and Pike turned. Vax stood at their side, looking between her and Scanlan. "Didn't expect to see you two here."

"I'm helping out today." said Pike, although she knew what he meant. Behind him, Percy and Grog sat at a table, Percy studying his phone intently, and Grog with his arms crossed, staring up at the ceiling.

Vax smiled. "Well, Scanlan, you should come sit with us. We try and eat here every Saturday, help keep the place in business."

Scanlan looked past Vax at Grog and Percy. "Oh, I don't know, I might need to leave soon."

"For what?" Pike asked innocently. They shuffled forward in line again, nearly at the front now. "I thought you were bored and had nothing to do."

Irritation briefly flickered over Scanlan's face. "All right." he said at last. "Might as well try your recipes."

When they finally reached the front, Tary greeted them with a smile. "Pike!" he said. "Wonderful to see you again!" His eyes slid over to Scanlan. "And this is..."

"Scanlan Shorthalt, the man we were telling you about." Pike said, putting her hand on Scanlan's back and pushing him forward. "Scanlan, this is Tary. He's the sole reason we have this shop."

Tary grinned. "Well, I do have a lot of business expertise. But I tell you, Scanlan, you have a great group of friends. I wandered in here off the streets, just looking for somewhere to live, and they took me in right away! Great people, they are."

Pike smiled. That wasn't exactly how she remembered it, but something vengeful in her enjoyed the tension in Scanlan's jaw. "Do we have any cream puffs?" she asked. "Get him some of those."

Tary obliged, and Scanlan accepted the bagged pastry. "Thank you." he said. "Taryon."

They hurried over to the cash register, where Vex worked the cash register. "I am so glad you came in early." she said to Pike. "It's busy today, we've made so much money already."

"Happy to help." said Pike. "I bought Scanlan some cream puffs to try. He likes this place."

Scanlan smiled. "I do. It's really great. And I met your new roommate over there."

"Oh yeah, Tary, he's wonderful." said Vex as she punched in the purchase on her cash register. "Thought he was a bit of a dick at first, but he's been really great. Super reliable, and always happy to help out. He's got a popular blog, too, and his readers are always coming in to meet him and buy some goods. There we go!" She smiled over the counter at them. "With employee discount, that's two thirty nine."

Pike dug a few bills out of her wallet and handed them over. "Thanks." said Scanlan.

"I'm going back to help out in the kitchen." Pike said. "See you later." She turned and ducked under the counter door, walking into the kitchen.

* * *

The kitchen was small, one of the many compromises they'd made for low rent, but Vex had bargained her way into a plethora of high-end cooking equipment to make up for the cramped space. Pike dodged under and around appliances until she finally spotted Keyleth, furiously baking three different batches of baked goods at once. As soon as she saw Pike, Keyleth gasped in relief. "Oh, Pike, you're here early. We're running out of everything, I need your help."

Pike pulled on an apron and a hairnet, and reached for the rubber glove dispenser. "What do you need me to do?"

Keyleth gasped again. She darted to Pike's side, grabbing Pike's hand, where her engagement ring glinted. "Is this it? You got one?"

"Kiki, we need another batch of cream puffs-" Vex began as she walked in, but she stopped when she noticed what Keyleth was looking at. "Ooh, Pike." Vex said, taking Pike's hand. "Very nice."

"It isn't real." Pike said, extracting her hand and pulling on the gloves. "It's just what we could afford with the police money."

"Still, this is supposed to be a congratulations moment, right?" Keyleth said. "It feels like a congratulations moment. Does he have one?"

"Keyleth, the cream puffs." Vex prompted Keyleth, before she hurried back out to her register.

"Right." Keyleth shook her head. "All right, I need you to help me ice those doughnuts, I don't have nearly enough hands for it."

* * *

Several minutes passed by in a blur of baking, icing, stirring, and doing her best to follow Keyleth's instructions. At some point, Hilda came back to relieve Pike, and Pike headed out to the front counter.

At the front, Pike was surprised when Grog made his way to the head of her line. He leaned on the counter. "Need any help back there?"

Pike raised her eyebrows. Grog never had the best record with helping out the Slayer's Cake, mostly because he barely fit in the kitchen. "Yeah, maybe, you should ask Vex." she said. She glanced over his shoulder- Percy, Vax, and Scanlan still sat at the table Grog had left, but their body language was stiff.

"It's weird." Grog said. "He's weird. He's not the same."

"Excuse me." said the customer behind Grog. "If you're not going to order anything, could you let someone else go, please?"

Grog gave him a look, drew himself up to his full height, and turned back to Pike. "A dozen Cravin' Bacon fucking Donuts, please."

"Coming right up." Pike said, grabbing the parchment paper and bags. She took her time with the order, carefully wrapping each maple donut. The customer behind Grog rolled his eyes, but she paid them no attention. "You know what I think?"

"What?"

"I think you should eat all these donuts yourself and not give him any." Pike said. "Maybe share with Vax and Percy. Definitely save one for me." She slid the large box of donuts over the counter, and Grog took it with a grin.

"I like that idea." he said, and he moved down the counter while another customer stepped up and took his place.

* * *

Some time later, the crowd had only grown, and customers were growing restless. Pike traded looks of panic with Vex and Tary- they had never been this busy, not in the entire time they'd been in business. One customer shoved to the front, and when the others grumbled, she snapped loudly that she had to be back at work in thirty minutes and needed to be served now.

While Tary handled the customer and Pike tried to calm the crowd, a few people walked out. Vex had vanished, too, leaving Tary to take up the register.

A moment later, Vex stood up on one of their tables, to the side of the crowd. "Everyone!" she shouted, and the crowd quieted down. "We are very sorry for your wait. To help make your day more pleasant, we are going to offer the Slayer's Cake first ever live performance! We've got Scanlan Shorthalt here, a former Halloweenfest performer!"

She pulled a bemused-looking Scanlan up to stand on the table next to her. "And our cream puffs are half off." Vex climbed down from the table, pushing her way back through the crowd towards the front.

Pike got back to work bagging pastries, but she watched Scanlan, as did almost everyone in the room. Scanlan smiled, and raised up Vex's cellphone. "Anyone got any requests? Willing to sing any song for you, right here, right now. No? Never mind, I've got just the thing."

He pulled something up on the phone, pressed down on the volume button, and placed it in an empty cup on his table and held it up. "We'll see if I'm warmed up enough for this." Scanlan said, as the first few bars of a karaoke version of "I Will Always Love You" floated over the restaurant.

It was, from a musical standpoint, a disaster. He was definitely nowhere near warmed up, and he clearly had forgotten some of the lyrics. However, his voice was good, as it always had been, and only Scanlan had enough charm to pull off a performance this terrible. He was simultaneously confident and self-deprecating, throwing himself fully into the passionate lyrics with a humorous glint in his eye, and it made his performance hilarious instead of embarrassing.

Pike smiled as she prepared four cream puffs. By the time he reached the final chorus, the mood in the shop had lightened considerably, and as he belted out the last note- barely on key- much of the crowd applauded. Several people held up phones, filming his performance, and Scanlan bowed with a flourish.

"Thank you, thank you everyone. That one goes out to my lovely fiancée, Pike Trickfoot. Pike, say hi." He pointed to where Pike stood behind the counter, and several phones swiveled in her direction. Pike waved hesitantly, and the crowd turned back to Scanlan. "Anyone have any requests?"

This time, the crowd answered enthusiastically, everyone talking over each other. People shouted everything from Friday to Phantom of the Opera to more serious suggestions, like Sinatra songs. A wide smile grew on Scanlan's face as he listened to the requests, and Pike wondered how long it had been since he'd last performed.

"Doty, start film." said Tary. He had set up his smart phone leaned up against the tip jar, where it got a good angle of Scanlan as he began a rendition of "Total Eclipse of the Heart".

"Your friend's talented." Tary said. "We should keep him around more often."

"Maybe." Pike said, watching Scanlan. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" had been his go-to karaoke song for years before he'd left. He nailed the lyrics this time, and he even used a few of the same gestures she remembered from their occasional karaoke nights. It gave her a strange feeling in her chest.

"Excuse me, excuse me?"

Pike blinked- her next customer stood in front of her, trying to get her attention. "Sorry about that." Pike said, ducking her head and smiling.

"Two cupcakes, please. When are you two getting married?" asked the customer.

"Er- we haven't set a date yet." Pike said. "We just got engaged last week, actually."

The customer nodded, a knowing smile on her face. "I could tell. You still have that newly-engaged glow about you. Don't worry, that goes away pretty quickly after marriage." She barked a laugh as Pike handed her the cupcakes over the counter.

As Pike greeted the next customer, she glanced over at Scanlan. He was hamming the song up, on his knees with one hand over his chest, and when he noticed Pike watching him, he pointed straight at her. Pike smiled and shook her head, although her face warmed at the many eyes on her.

Well. If they'd managed to convince all these customers they were engaged, maybe convincing the Trickfoots wouldn't be so hard, after all.

* * *

A thought occurred to Pike on the way home, as they walked from the subway station back to her apartment. "Aren't you worried about them filming you?"

Scanlan, lost in thought, glanced over at her. "Why? I'm sure there's worse videos of me out there."

"What if your other friends see it?" Pike asked.

Scanlan shrugged. "They'll probably assume I'm working. And if your family sees it, it backs up our story."

Pike had many questions about that answer, but she didn't want another fight. "Even with the ankle monitor?"

Scanlan flashed her a grin. "You'd be surprised."

"We've got to come up with a story for that." Pike said. "So they don't know why you're really marrying me. And a story for why you're home all the time."

"Maybe it's one of those blood alcohol monitors. I've got a drinking problem, I got into a wreck, lost my job, now I'm stuck at home looking for a new one." Scanlan said. Pike squinted at him, and he shrugged. "Or we can come up with something else."

"We could-" Pike stopped short, staring at the entrance to their apartment. After a moment, she grabbed Scanlan's hand, pulling him to a stop with her.

Four figures stood in front of her apartment building's door, four short figures with a mountain of luggage between them.

Scanlan met her eyes. "Showtime."

"Pike!"

"Yep." Pike wiped the wince off of her face and gripped Scanlan's hand more tightly as they walked towards her family.

* * *

 **Next up: Scanlan knows how to charm a Trickfoot.**


	6. The Cot, part 1

**(late 2014)**

The first dinner with the Trickfoots was a raucous event. There wasn't enough room at the little kitchen table for everyone, so they'd scattered, some eating on the couch, some on the fire escape outside, some at the table, some up against walls, all dodging around the many bags of luggage the Trickfoots had brought. Pike found herself enjoying the impromptu dinner party.

Astra and Johann turned out to be the talkers of her relatives. They showed no surprise at her friends being there, and drifted easily among them, telling stories and charming everyone into loud bouts of laughter. Johann got along particularly well with Scanlan. Pike had to duck out of a conversation with them when the subject turned to embarrassing games she and JB played as children, and Grog began eagerly listening in.

JB and her great-uncle Ogden, meanwhile, were more reserved. For most of the evening, they sat together on the couch, JB helping Ogden eat and petting Trinket while shyly fielding questions from Vex, Percy, and the rest of the group. Pike smiled when she and Percy got in a particularly involved discussion about a book series. She was glad to see her cousin come out of her shell.

At one point, Pike found herself leaning against the sink, sipping from a cup of boxed wine while observing the room. Scanlan sat on the couch, laughing at something Astra said before directing a comment to Ogden that made the elderly man shift in surprise. Pike noticed JB's eyes lingering on Scanlan, and looked away. The twins and Percy had disappeared out onto the balcony some time ago, and Grog and Keyleth listened intently to a story from Johann while Keyleth scratched Trinket's head.

Vax emerged from the window and crossed to Pike, clapping a hand on her shoulder as he refilled his cup of wine.

"What do you make of them?" Pike asked quietly.

Vax took a sip of his wine, eyes flicking over to her family. "They're better than what Vex and I are stuck with, that's for sure."

"But?"

Vax wiped the back of his hand against his mouth, and shrugged. "They're awfully focused on the Scanman, aren't they?"

Pike followed his eyes to where Scanlan sat on the couch, laughing at something Astra had said. "He's always been good at making friends."

Vax nodded. "True. And maybe they've just heard of him. He has been making a name for himself lately."

As Pike watched, Scanlan said something quietly that made the whole group laugh. He looked up, meeting her eyes, and winked. Pike turned back to Vax.

"It's a lot of bags for only a few nights, isn't it?" she asked quietly.

Vax threw his arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll keep an eye on them."

* * *

An hour later, Percy and Keyleth finally bid the group adieu. When the door shut behind them, the room quieted considerably. At some point, Scanlan had brought out his iPod at Astra's request, and music stilled played tinnily from the plastic cup he'd placed it in. Cool air blew in from the window, soothing the heat of all those people packed into one place.

Pike turned around after she shut the door, and let out a breath. Grog was already washing dishes, as per the chore chart, while the rest of her family clustered around Scanlan on the couch.

"-and I swear, it had American cheese in it!" Scanlan said. Astra and Johann laughed uproariously.

As Pike made her way over to the couch, Johann met her eyes. "Your roommate was just telling us all about your cooking skills."

"Was he, now." Pike said, raising an eyebrow at Scanlan as she sat.

"Yeah, it's so nice of him to tell us all about the woman you've grown into!" said Astra. She shook a finger at Pike. "We never hear from you, or Wilhand either! A med student! Good to see someone in this family make something of themselves!"

"What are you up to these days, JB?" asked Pike.

"Um-"

"She stays at home mostly, helps us around the house, and with her grandpa." said Johann, jerking a thumb at Ogden, who was snoring on the couch. "She tried college for a bit, but, you know, it's so expensive these days, we couldn't afford all four years. She's very smart, though, aren't you, JB?"

JB shrugged, looking down at her hands. "I was majoring in English. I wanted to be a librarian."

"And a fine librarian you would've made!" Johann boomed. "They really should make it easier to get an education, you know?"

Pike scratched the back of her neck, feeling ill at ease with her years of medical schooling.

"Oh, I agree." Scanlan said. "Never actually went to college, myself, it was just too much money and I knew I wanted to be a musician. So we've got that in common, JB." He placed his hand on her knee, with a familiarity that twisted Pike's stomach.

Pike stood, head swimming from the wine. "I'm going to go help Grog clean up. You make yourselves at home, all of you. We've got sleeping bags, and the couch, and a cot, and the bathroom's right over there-"

"So which room will Ogden be staying in?" Astra asked.

Pike hesitated. They'd planned for her and Grog to share one bed, and Scanlan to take the other, while the Trickfoots remained in the living room. They hadn't wanted to give the Trickfoots unsupervised access to either bedroom.

Johann's gaze sharpened, and he clicked his tongue. "We don't mean to put too much demand on you, but I don't know if his back could handle the cot you have. He's gotten pretty old, you know."

"He can take mine." Scanlan said immediately. "I can sleep on the cot. Anything for the Trickfoots."

Pike flashed him a grateful glance, but Astra and Johann still didn't look satisfied. They traded glances, and Astra met Pike's eyes. "Surely you don't mean for Johann and I to be sleeping in bags? I don't want to impose, but we aren't nearly as young as we once were, we'd wake up unable to walk." She laughed.

Pike glanced helplessly back at Grog, who watched the conversation with a frown as he absentmindedly dried the saucepan. "Don't think I'd fit on the cot, or in one of those dinky little sleeping bags." he said.

"You can take the couch." Pike said. "And JB and I can use the sleeping bags. Is that alright, JB? It'll be just like a sleepover."

JB nodded. "Yeah, that should be-"

"Just like when you two were little!" Johann said, clapping a hand on JB's back. "Perfect!"

Astra nodded, standing up and stretching. "Wonderful. Now that we have all that settled! JB, wake your grandfather up, it's time we get him to a real bed."

JB shook Ogden awake, and she and Pike helped him into Scanlan's room. He muttered something about birds as they maneuvered him under the sheets.

When they'd finished, JB smiled at the ground. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." said Pike. "You're the guests, we want you to be comfortable." And she meant it, she did. They'd be vigilant with their valuables, and she would only sleep on the floor for a few days.

As they made their way out of Scanlan's room, Astra blocked their path, hugging Pike tightly. "Oh, thank you so much for your generosity, really, it means so much to us. You've grown into a wonderful young lady. Your parents would be so proud."

Pike forced a smile at the mention of her parents. "Um- thank you."

"No, really, Pike, thank you." Johann said, touching her shoulder. "I am so glad we're getting to see you. What do you say we go out tomorrow, tour Emon?"

Pike bit her lip. "Oh, sorry, but I have work all day tomorrow. I wasn't able to get it rescheduled, I tried-"

"I can take you." Scanlan said, stepping into their circle. "I've got a day off tomorrow. And I've lived in this city for years, I know all the best places."

Astra grinned. "Well, great! Thank you so much!" She turned to Pike, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Pike, your roommate is a very charming young man."

"Oh- um-"

"Only as charming as my company." Scanlan said smoothly, and Astra let out a delighted laugh.

Pike looked over to Grog, hoping for someone to recognize the insanity of Scanlan with her family, but he was wiping down the kitchen table. Pike shook her head and headed across the room to join him. She needed a break from Scanlan, at least for a while.

* * *

 **(2017)**

"Pike!" Astra called, and Pike pulled Scanlan behind her, walking towards the group. "Pike, it's so good to see you!"

The four of them hadn't changed much in the three years since Pike had last seen them. Ogden looked even more ancient, and JB had gotten bangs, but otherwise, they seemed the same.

"Good to see you too." Pike said, letting go of Scanlan to hug them.

"And you, too, Scanlan!" Astra said. She disentangled herself from Pike, and turned to examine Scanlan from head to toe. "You've gotten handsomer, somehow!"

"I'm sure it's thanks to the care of this lady right here." Scanlan said, grinning and taking Pike's hand again. They fumbled at first, but managed to twine their fingers together.

"Oh, it's so good to see you two together." Astra said. "We always had a feeling, didn't we, Johann?"

Johann nodded, glancing between them. "Oh, yes, we had a feeling."

"Tell them the story, Johann." Astra said. "About what I said right after we left-"

"Who's this now?" Ogden asked loudly, examining Scanlan.

JB took his hand. "That's Scanlan, Grandpa. You remember him, we met him three years ago."

Ogden shook his head. "I don't know any Scanlan."

"What finally got you two together?" asked Astra. "We thought nothing would do it when you two shared the cot together for a week without anything happening."

"Uh..." Scanlan began.

"It wasn't long after you left, actually." Pike looped her arm around Scanlan's. "He wrote me a song, and he played it for me on the roof. I thought it was really romantic, and we'd been spending a lot of time together..."

"That's really cute." JB said, her voice filled with excitement.

Pike smiled at Scanlan. "It was, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was." Scanlan said softly. She'd expected the guilt in his eyes, but not the softer look as he leaned forward.

Pike closed her eyes as his lips pressed against hers. Time stopped for a moment, something warm bursting in her chest and fizzing out to her fingertips as they kissed for the first time in three years.

"So, what's with the device on your leg?" asked Johann.

It took Pike a moment to open her eyes. Her lips tingled, cheeks feeling warm and numb.

"Oh, alcohol." said Scanlan. He was already looking at Johann, perfectly playing the part of someone who'd casually kissed his fiancee. "I, unfortunately, got into a bit of a wreck a little while back, and they were concerned alcohol may have played a part. It didn't, of course, but..." He waved his hand. "I'm still being monitored for the time being. Makes planning a wedding a lot more difficult."

Johann nodded sympathetically.

"What brings you all here?" Pike said loudly. She lowered her voice. "We weren't expecting you for a while."

"We decided to come surprise you, of course!" Astra said. "And we want to help out with the wedding! It's been so long since we've been to one, and," she lowered her voice, eyes darting to JB, "I don't think we're going to have another one anytime soon. Is it alright if we stay for a bit?"

"Yeah, yeah, that's- great." Pike said. Maybe the fake-wedding ordeal would be over in a matter of days. Scanlan's fingers tightened around hers, and she let go of his hand. "Uh, we've got a couch, we've got the cot, we've got an air mattress..."

"Why don't we go up and figure it out there." Astra said.

"Sure." Pike fumbled with the keycode for the door, taking a few tries to get it right. Scanlan and the Trickfoots followed her into the lobby.

"Nice place." said Johann.

"Thank you." Pike said. "I- we've really enjoyed it."

The Trickfoots chatted among themselves as they waited for the elevator. Pike met Scanlan's eyes. He was biting his lip, expression unreadable. Pike looked away, feeling flushed all over again.

"Fourth floor." said Pike as they filed in.

"So, you're going to be a member of the family, huh?" Johann asked, clapping Scanlan on the back. "You know, it's about time we had a young man around."

"I wouldn't say young." Scanlan said with a laugh.

"Oh, no, look at you, how old can you be?" Astra said. "Especially compared to Johann and I, us old hags."

Scanlan met Pike's eyes. "Thirty-six, actually."

"Well, I never would've guessed." Astra said. "You're so handsome. Pike, you chose well."

"Thank you." Pike said, smiling.

* * *

When they reached her apartment door, Pike finally remembered the slept-in cot lying in wait for them, with Scanlan's guitar beside it. She had no way to delay without looking suspicious, though, so she pushed the door open.

"Oh, what a big place!" Astra said as the Trickfoots walked in. "It's got a great view! And look, there's the cot, just like last time!"

Scanlan crossed immediately to it and began neatening up. "Oh, yes, we'll have it ready tonight. Pike was just making me sleep in it for a bit as a punishment for the car crash." He made a what-can-you-do face. "I lost my job over it, it's been rough around here."

"I was worried about you." Pike chided him, as she looked around for anything else that might indicate their engagement was less than real. He used her dresser and stored his toiletries in her bathroom, thankfully.

"I know you were." Scanlan said, and before Pike could blink, he crossed to her, arm around her, face close. He paused, so Pike leaned forward this time, pressing a kiss to his lips.

"I'm glad you're alright." she said, looking down at the ground. Scanlan rubbed her back, and she cleared her throat. "Um. I'm not sure exactly what to do about sleeping."

"You two can share the cot!" Astra said, giggling. "Just like old times."

Panic rose in Pike's throat.

"Actually, why don't Pike and I take the bed, and Ogden can take the cot." Scanlan said. "Let me tell you, I've been sleeping in that bed for months, and the cot is much more comfortable."

"And then you three can take the air mattress and the couch." said Pike. "The mattress is big enough for two."

Astra and Johann's faces fell, but Pike knew they wouldn't push too far. She could handle a little guilt tripping. They'd only be staying a few days, anyways.

"Let me go get the air mattress and some spare sheets from our closet." said Pike, stepping away from Scanlan. "And how about we go out for dinner tonight?"

"Great idea." said Johann. "We can go to that great barbecue place Grog took us to last time. How is Grog, by the way? And the rest of your friends?"

"Doing just fine." Scanlan said, as Pike disappeared into the hall. She had to climb up onto the laundry machine to reach the top shelf, but it was worth it to get a moment of solitude.

Pike brushed her fingers against her lips as she searched for the air mattress. Good to know he was still a good kisser, she thought absurdly. She wondered who he'd been kissing in the past three years. She wondered if he still lived with Kaylie. And how old she was now.

Pike shook her head, and stretched up, pulling down the mattress onto the laundry machines. Nothing good would come from those thoughts, especially now, when they had to sleep in the same bed, and kiss, and hold hands, and pretend everything was fine between them.

She wished they'd gotten a little more time alone before her family had shown up, that was all.

* * *

Pike busied herself for the rest of the day with struggling to fit her usual weekend errands in around entertaining the Trickfoots. They did end up going out to eat, and by the time they returned to the apartment, the Trickfoots were wearied from their travel and tourism. As soon as Scanlan cleaned up the living room, Ogden collapsed onto the cot, muttering to himself. Pike brought out a blanket and more pillows for JB, and Astra and Johann took their positions on the air mattress. Finally, when Pike was sure they were all asleep and weren't about to go searching through her drawers, she retreated to her bedroom.

Faint music floated out from her bathroom as Scanlan sang, accompanied by the hiss of the shower running. Pike changed into her nightclothes in silence, and turned off all the lights in the room except for the lamp by her bedside table. She climbed into bed and slipped under the sheets, pulling out her phone.

As she replied to a few texts from the others, something buzzed. Out of habit, Pike reached for her bedside table, before realizing she held her phone, and the sound came from the nightstand on the other side of the bed.

Scanlan's side.

Pike frowned.

The nightstand vibrated again, and Pike set down her phone on her bedside table. The shower was still running, Scanlan singing a recent Ioun song. She leaned over the bed carefully, and pulled open the drawer of the other nightstand.

A phone lay inside, screen lit up with two new texts. Before Pike could read them, the hiss of the shower cut off. She quickly shut the drawer and assumed her previous position on the other side of the bed, picking up her phone.

Scanlan emerged from the shower, toweling off his wet hair. Pike set her phone down on the table, turning it on silent, and eyed him, unsure how to open this can of worms. If it wouldn't be better to just tell Kima.

"I called Kima while I was in the bathroom at the restaurant." she said quietly. "They're going to prepare a few things and then they'll take them in."

"Prepare?" Scanlan asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Pike nodded. "They want to be sure they have all the evidence correct while they're in town. It should only be a few days."

"A few days." Scanlan repeated. He finished drying his hair with a flourish and stood again, returning to the bathroom.

"What happens to you once this is over?" Pike called.

Scanlan emerged from the bathroom again, combing his fingers through his damp hair. "Well, I have a few options, some better than others."

"Like?"

Scanlan didn't respond, sitting down on the bed again, and Pike frowned. "The police already know your options, don't they?"

Scanlan climbed under the covers. "I guess you're right. I can either take my chances in court, and end up with a reduced sentence at worst for helping out with this arrest, or I can give them a few names and only get a year, with parole for good behavior."

"And what would you do then?" Pike said. "Go back to...wherever?"

"I don't know." said Scanlan. "I don't know if I can." He didn't elaborate, and, after a moment, Pike switched off the lamp, leaving them in darkness. She didn't fall asleep yet, though, staring up at the ceiling above.

"Bigger than last time." whispered Scanlan.

Pike snorted. "Yeah." They barely touched this time, arms resting against each other. "Less hair, too."

"Oh, God, I forgot about that." Scanlan whispered. "You nearly drowned that first night. My hair was so long back then."

Pike smiled at the memory, although it was bittersweet. "You should apologize to Grog, and Percy, and all of them." she whispered. "I know they're mad, but they really missed you."

"I know." Scanlan whispered. "I'm sorry for leaving like that. Honestly. If I could just explain-"

"Why can't you?" Scanlan didn't respond, and frustration bubbled up in Pike. "Scanlan, I saw your phone."

The mattress creaked as Scanlan shifted. "What do you mean?"

Pike sat up. "The phone in the nightstand drawer. Kima told me you didn't have one."

For a long moment, Scanlan said nothing, and then, softly, "Pike-"

"Why won't you tell us anything?" Pike whispered.

"I don't..." Scanlan struggled for words. "I didn't...Pike, please don't tell them about the phone. I need it."

"Why?" Pike asked, voice rising. "Scanlan, if you're still talking to whoever it is-"

Scanlan sat up, tone panicked. "I'm not, I promise. Shhh, please, shhh, don't tell Kima."

"Scanlan," Pike said, "what is going on?"

He didn't respond for a long moment. "You won't tell the police?"

"No. Of course not."

"I'm protecting someone." Scanlan whispered. "They have her picture, she's one of the names they want me to give up. This phone is the only way I can get in contact with her."

Pike lay back down, looking at the ceiling. "You love her."

"I do." Scanlan said, and Pike detected no trace of a lie in his voice. "She's the reason I got into this- business. She needed my help, and I got drawn further and further in. I didn't want to get you all involved, too, it wasn't- it's bad business."

"We would've helped you." Pike whispered.

"This wasn't something we could fight." Scanlan replied, settling back onto the bed. "Or call the police for. She owed money, a lot of it. They were going to kill her if she tried to bail."

"We would've helped pay, you know that."

"I know." said Scanlan. "I didn't think it would take long, and I didn't want the rest of you to end up in debt, or involved with the people she was involved with. They're very bad people."

"You could've told us." Pike said. "Rather than just- leaving."

"I thought you might try to help anyways." Scanlan whispered. "I'm sorry. I should've have left the way I did. But I didn't think I had any choice, back then."

Pike shifted, fiddling with the ringer on her finger. "What's this woman going to think about you disappearing and showing up engaged to someone else?"

Scanlan chuckled. "Oh, it's not like that." he said. "Swear you won't tell anyone?"

"I promise." Pike whispered.

Scanlan rolled over, facing Pike. "She's my daughter."

Pike sat up immediately, turning on the lamp. Scanlan squinted, throwing up his hand to block out the light, but nothing in his face suggested he was joking. "Your daughter?" she whispered. "How?"

"High school girlfriend." Scanlan said. "Apparently my mom and I moved away before finding out she was pregnant, and she never told me." He chuckled. "Mom would've been proud, she had me the same way."

Pike didn't know how to respond. "How old is she?" Kaylie had been young, hadn't she?

"Twenty-one." Scanlan said. "She's...independent, talented, headstrong, smart. She lost her mother even younger than I did, that's how she ended up in debt to these people. Told me helping her was the least I could do. I'm not going to tell you her name, or what she looks like, or where she is-"

"Of course." said Pike. She switched off the light again, lying back down. "I won't mention her to anyone."

"Thank you." said Scanlan.

Pike reached over in the darkness, laying her hand on top of Scanlan's. "Thank you for telling me about her. She sounds wonderful."

"She is." Scanlan said.

Pike squeezed his hand. "Good night."

"Good night, Pike."

* * *

 **Next up: Pike and Scanlan lie to each other.**


	7. Nights

**(late 2014)**

On the fourth day of her family's visit, Pike took her first moment alone to grab the remains of a six pack from the fridge and head out the window. She'd come home early from dinner with them and Grog, claiming she had work in the morning, but truly, what she needed was this- cool air, cold beer, a moment of peace and quiet in the rusty metal lawn chair on the roof.

The fire escape creaked. Pike closed her eyes, hoping for anyone but-

"Pikeypants!"

Pike opened her eyes, assuming a neutral tone. "I thought you had work."

Scanlan sat down next to her, and took one of the beers out of the half-empty six pack. "Closed up early. No one wants coffee at nine o' clock on a Tuesday night."

"College students."

Scanlan shrugged. "They're not coming to our shop."

Pike sipped her beer, letting the conversation lapse into silence. Scanlan would fill it in a minute, anyways, as he always did.

"The apartment's crowded."

Pike rubbed her face. "Yeah, it is. I sort of wish they said when they were leaving."

"After Halloweenfest." said Scanlan.

Pike looked over at him, surprised. "When did they say that?"

"When I was taking them on the tour, the second day." Scanlan shrugged, looking out at the street. "I mentioned my gig, and they said they wanted to stay for it."

"You mentioned your gig to them?" Pike wished the question hadn't come out as an accusation.

Scanlan fiddled with his beer. "It's been on my mind a lot, it came up."

"Sorry." Pike said. "I just- I thought they were only going to stay a few days. I know Grog's ready for his bed back."

"So am I." Scanlan said. "I don't know how you manage the cot all the time, it's not good for my old age."

He was baiting her, trying to draw her into joking about his age, but Pike's irritation with him over the past few days finally found an outlet. "Did you ask them to stay without telling Grog or I?"

"No, I didn't." Scanlan said. "I wouldn't do that to you."

Pike huffed a laugh, but it came out bitter. "You've done that before, with your dates."

"I never let them stay more than one night in a row." Scanlan said. "Same as Grog. Same as you, when you bring home your friends."

"Grog and I mention it first."

"I forgot one time in the last year." Scanlan said, shifting in his seat. "I don't really understand why you're upset about this right now. It's been months since the last time I forgot to let you and Grog know. I'm sorry, I should've known they'd take it as an invitation."

"I'm not upset with you." Pike said evenly.

Scanlan snorted. "Pike."

"It's not technically a no bullshit night." Pike folded her arms. "We never announced it."

"So you are upset with me."

Pike shifted forward in her seat, curling her knees up under her chin and resting her elbows on them. "I just- I sort of wish you would stop flirting with my family, that's all."

Scanlan barked out a surprised laugh. "What?"

"Scanlan."

"I'll admit, Pike, I can be a bit of a flirt, but I don't know what you're talking about. I was merely being friendly to your family, giving them the basic charm and respect any Trickfoot deserves-"

"Scanlan." Pike repeated, looking at him, but his expression was pure confusion. She sighed. "No bullshit. I'm upset with you. It bothers me when you flirt with my family."

Scanlan raised his hands. "No bullshit. I haven't been. Intentionally, anyways, I know I..." He lowered his hands, looking away. "Why does it bother you, anyways? I thought you wanted us to keep an eye on them. Thought Astra and Johann were shady."

"Because...because maybe they're not as bad as Wilhand made them out to be." Pike said. "They seem like they're trying hard to get better."

"I'm not trying to stop them from getting better." Scanlan said. "I was helping them. Give them a friendly face on the good side, and all."

Pike's fingers tightened around her elbows. Everything he said was perfectly logical, and yet her irritation with him remained, a stubborn pebble unable to be shaken from her shoe. "Maybe I just want you on my side." she said finally. "If anything happens, if they're not- I don't want you to leave with them. No one else seems to trust them, except Keyleth, but she trusts everyone. But even Grog is keeping them at arm's length, and you're giving them tours of the city-"

"You think that means I trust them, or like them?" Scanlan said. "Just because I'm nice and charming to them?" He shook his head, looking out at the street ahead of him. "And here I thought you knew me, Pikeypants."

And he made another fair point, yet Pike still couldn't shake the annoyed feeling in her chest, at Scanlan brushing JB's knee and JB's blush, at Astra's conspiratorial whisper about how charming he was, at Scanlan's too-loud laughter at Johann's jokes.

He wasn't flirting, he was acting like his usual self. Of course he would bend over backwards to try and impress her family, he always bent over backwards to impress her. It didn't mean anything.

So why did it still bother her so much?

"I'm sorry." Pike said. "I think I'm just a little on edge with them here."

"No bullshit?" Scanlan asked.

Pike looked at him. What was she supposed to say, _I don't want to lead you on but I'm jealous when you flirt with other people?_ They never touched his feelings, not even on these nights. "No bullshit."

She wondered if he believed her.

* * *

After a few more minutes of conversation, a gentle rain began to fall on the roof. For a while, Pike and Scanlan enjoyed the mist as they finished off the remaining beer, until, abruptly, the skies opened up and it poured.

Scanlan shrieked, holding up the flattened cardboard beer package over his head. "Fuck, where did that come from?"

"I have no idea!" Pike said, raising her voice to be heard over the wind. "Let's leave, quick!"

They descended the fire escape carefully, moving slowly to avoid slipping and falling over the edge. By the time they reached their apartment level, both were completely drenched, and Pike knew she would need a shower and a change of clothes. When she spotted the window, however, she realized clothes were not the only thing she would have to replace.

"Shit!" Pike shouted. "Did you leave the window open?"

Scanlan, cardboard overhead and three metal cans bundled in one arm, darted in the window immediately. Pike hurried after him, slammed it shut, and turned around to examine the damage. Scanlan had left some music sheets on a table over by the window, and they were scattered, completely soaked. He hurried over to them immediately, cursing under his breath.

"I think they'll be fine." he said, lifting them up to the light. "I can use my hairdryer on them. Shit, I was having a really good lyric writing session, too."

The couch, pushed up against one wall, had a dark water stain on one end, but it would dry pretty quickly. The rain, thankfully, hadn't reached their old television, or the gaming system Grog kept underneath, and all of their posters were either damp or untouched. However, JB had set up her sleeping bag by the window, and that entire area was a large pool of water.

"No." Pike breathed.

Their front door opened, and Pike turned, as a waterlogged Grog and the rest of her family walked in.

"Pike!" said Johann. "I thought you'd be asleep by now." He stopped, taking in the disheveled room.

"I'm sorry." Pike said, crossing to the sleeping bag. "We were up on the roof, and we left the window open." She picked it up, hoping maybe it wasn't as drenched as it looked, but rain water dripped out of it onto the floor.

"My sleeping bag!" said JB.

Scanlan put his hand on Pike's shoulder. "Grog, could you get Vex? She's probably had this happened before."

"Right." Grog said, and he headed out.

"I'm so sorry." Pike said again. "I'll get some towels, we can start work on drying out the rest of the room. JB, you can take my sleeping bag tonight, I'll share with Grog."

"No, no, no, no need to worry." said Johann.

Astra nodded. "It was an honest mistake. Lord knows we make plenty of those all the time." She cackled, swatting at Johann.

"Is it raining out?" asked Ogden.

The door opened again, and Vex hurried in, followed by Grog. Vex knelt down by the sleeping bag, cradling it like a dying relative. "Oh, no, no, no..."

"Is it going to be all right?" Scanlan asked, a trace of irony in his voice. Pike shot him a look.

Vex sucked in air between her teeth, turning over the material in her hands. "See, if this were any other sleeping bag, it _would_ , because these things are usually really good at keeping water out, but this is this one." She reached into the compartment of the sleeping bag, and winced. "It's old, it's got a lot of wear and tear. It's never been an issue before, so I never stopped using it, but-"

"We can hang it on the fire escape railing." Pike said. "Try and dry it out. You shouldn't have to buy a new one."

"I'll just let Vax use this one next time we need it, that's all." Vex said, a laugh in her voice, but she was still turning over the drenched fabric in her hands.

"Where's JB gonna sleep?" Grog said.

"In my sleeping bag." Pike said immediately. "Grog, I'll share with you. We can get some towels, dry off the end of the couch that got wet."

Grog folded his arms. "You know I would, buddy, but I don't know if there's room."

Pike, examining the couch, had to admit he had a point. If he were someone smaller, maybe, but Grog barely fit on the couch.

"I don't have any more sleeping bags." Vex said. "I can see if Keyleth does, she likes camping-"

"She never uses them." Pike said, putting a hand to her forehead. Sleeping on the floor for several nights would not make this visit any easier. "She likes hammocks. And we couldn't set one up in here."

"Look, Pike, why don't you share with me?" asked Scanlan. "There's room for us both on the cot. That way no one has to sleep on the floor."

Pike felt uncomfortably hot, as if she'd stepped in front of a spotlight."Uh, yeah." she said finally. "That's an easy solution. No reason not to."

"I'm so sorry, Pike." said Astra. "We would offer the beds, but..."

Pike forced a smile, shaking her head. "No, it's our fault. And you're the guests here." She met Scanlan's eyes, wishing she could read his mind.

"Don't try anything, Scanlan, or else she'll force you to sleep on the floor." Vex said.

Scanlan raised his hands, smiling. "You think so little of me, Vex."

Something hot burned behind Pike's ears. She walked forward, taking the drenched sleeping bag from Vex. "The rain's stopped, we should go ahead and put it outside."

Vex took the other end. "Here, Pike, I'll help you." Together, holding the sleeping bag, they somehow managed to climb out the window and shut it behind them.

* * *

The railing of the fire escape was still wet, so Pike began determinedly drying it with the hem of her shirt. She sensed the teasing comment about to come from Vex's lips.

"So."

"You know, that one time I told you I thought Scanlan was attractive, I was really drunk and I would've said that about anyone, right?" Pike burst out, wiping more furiously. She glanced over her shoulder, grateful to see the window closed and those inside distracted with other things. "It's not a big deal, Grog and I share all the time. I've shared with you and Keyleth before, and Vax. Just because it's Scanlan-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I wasn't going to say anything about that." Vex said. She lifted the sleeping bag over the railing and tugged at it to even it out. "I was going to ask how things were going with your family."

"Oh." Pike flushed as she adjusted the other end of the sleeping bag.

"But should we be talking about this?" Vex leaned on the railing, turning towards Pike. "That didn't sound like 'no big deal' to me." Pike hesitated, and Vex smiled. "C'mon, you can tell me, Pike. I am the best with secrets."

"I know." Pike said. "I don't think I want to talk about this, though."

"It's fine, darling." Vex said, returning to her work on spreading out the sleeping bag's folds. "So, how are things with your family?"

"They're fine." Pike said, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Haven't stolen anything yet."

"Good." Vex said. She stood back from the sleeping bag, and inspected her work. "If they do anything, let me know, alright? And maybe take a hairdryer to this sleeping bag. It'll take hours, but it'll dry it faster."

"Right." Pike said. "Thank you."

Vex smiled at her. "You're always welcome."

* * *

After cleaning the living room, Pike changed quickly into her pajamas, and climbed under the covers of the cot, half-hoping she would fall asleep before Scanlan crawled in with her. Of course, she had no such luck; the rest of the group went to sleep at the same time she did, not wanting to keep her up before work.

As Scanlan approached the bed, hair undone, Pike gave him a smile. "We're gonna have a lot of hair in this bed tonight." To her relief, he wore his ridiculous purple faux silk pajamas, and not his usual, pantsless, bed attire.

Scanlan sat down on the edge of the cot, barely touching her, and combed his hands through his hair. "Maybe we should get Vax to braid it all up if this happens again, what do you think?"

"It won't happen again." Pike said quickly. "The other sleeping bag should be dry by tomorrow."

"So I just get one night of Pike Trickfoot in my bed." Scanlan said with a grin. "Good enough."

"Actually, it's my bed."

"Actually, it's mine." Grog called from the couch. "I'm the one who bought it."

"I paid you back half!" Pike protested.

"So I'm in Grog and Pike's bed, then." Scanlan pretended to think for a moment, and shrugged. "Still good with me."

"Gross." Grog said. "Pike's my brother." He sat up on the couch, reaching for the light switch by Scanlan's door.

"I got it." Pike said, throwing back the covers and getting out of bed. "JB, are you comfortable?"

JB's head emerged from Vex's sleeping bag. "Yeah, I- I'm fine."

"All right, good night." Pike flipped the switch off. In the darkness, her eyes took a moment to adjust, and she nearly tripped over the cot before finding it. She could barely make out Scanlan's form underneath the covers. "Move." she whispered.

The cot squeaked as he shifted to one side. Pike made her way under the covers, but he was still too close- she had to hang over the side to avoid laying on top of him. "I'm over the edge, can you scoot over?"

"I'm over the edge, too." Scanlan whispered back.

There was a pause, and then they both shifted closer to each other, Pike laying one arm on top of his chest to get comfortable. Her head lay on some of his hair now- it was damp, but still smelled good from whatever shampoo he used in his endless showers. Her nose brushed up against his ear, and she tilted her head upwards to relieve him of the contact.

"Don't make it weird," Pike whispered, "but are you comfortable?"

Scanlan's chest twitched as he huffed out a laugh. "Better than the floor."

"Yeah." Pike said, watching her breath shift his hair with every exhale. "Better than the floor."

* * *

 **(2017)**

Sunday evening, Kima called Pike again. "See if you can't get them to a movie or something for a few hours." she said. "We need you two to come into the station, we have a few things we'd rather discuss in person."

Pike relayed the news to Scanlan as they were lay in bed that night, and Scanlan made a face. "That doesn't sound good."

"Maybe they just want to go over procedures for taking them in." Pike said, making sure to keep her voice lowered. "I don't know how to keep them busy, I don't want them to be alone in the apartment."

"I've got an idea." Scanlan said. "Tell Kima we can come in tomorrow evening, I'll talk to your family about it tomorrow."

Pike watched him, expecting him to elaborate, but he didn't. "What idea?"

Scanlan smiled. "It'll seem more real if you don't know about it."

The next day, Pike texted Scanlan the address of her work and, when she got off for the day, she found Scanlan waiting outside the building, talking animatedly on the phone. Pike pulled back her hair into a tighter ponytail, and walked up. "Who are you talking to?"

Scanlan, upon seeing her, immediately smiled. "Oh, hey, Pike, sweetheart. We were just talking about you." He pointed at the phone and mouthed 'Family'. "Sounds like you're doing alright out there, then." Scanlan said into the phone. A faint voice muttered a response. "Uh huh, uh huh, I will take care of it. Don't worry about it." He laughed. "All right, bye."

Pike wrinkled her nose as Scanlan hung up. "What are you calling them for?"

"You'll see." Scanlan said with an easy smile. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's." Pike said, following him.

They took the bus down to the police station. Pike noticed Scanlan's eyes flicking to her more often than usual, and she gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "I'm not going to mention her."

Scanlan nodded. "Thanks."

The police station was its usual bustling self. Pike and Scanlan gave their names at the counter, and, after a short wait, a staff member led them into a back room, where Kima and Allura waited.

"Pike, Scanlan." Allura said, standing as they walked in. "Good to see you."

"Thank you." Pike said, searching her expression for any indication of what the news was. Kima stayed seated at the table when they came in, staring down at her folded hands.

Allura gave Scanlan a perfunctory smile as the group sat down. "I see you've bought your rings."

Pike fidgeted with the ring on her finger. "Yes, right after we left you two last week."

"Good, good." Allura said, glancing over at Kima. Kima didn't move. "And your family has arrived, if I understand correctly?"

"Yes." Pike said. "Uh- Saturday afternoon. JB texted and asked for my address last week, but I didn't think they meant to show up before we'd set any dates. But you can take care of them now, can't you?" She glanced over at Scanlan, but he still watched Kima and Allura.

"Actually..." Allura pressed her lips together, looking over at Kima.

"We weren't expecting them to come this early." Kima said. "We hoped they wouldn't."

"What do you mean?"

"The investigation's not complete yet." Kima said. "We may have jumped the gun a bit by starting this sting, but we weren't expecting them to take the bait so quickly. We think they're connected to a big ring of counterfeiters here in Emon, and through our investigation into them, we have come very close to figuring out the identity of the ringleader. We are worried, however, that if we arrest them before we've tracked down the ringleader, that the ringleader will realize we are onto them and disappear." She sighed, folding her arms. "We have been trying to track this person down for years. I wouldn't ask otherwise."

"She wants you to keep the Trickfoots in town for a little while." Allura said. "It shouldn't be too much longer."

Kima nodded. "And there are ways we can speed the process up. If you let us into your apartment at some point, we could install some surveillance devices-"

Pike traded glances with Scanlan. "I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with that." she said. "How long do you think it will take?"

"Unfortunately, we cannot give an answer to that." Allura said. "Scanlan, your reprieve will of course continue for however long you are assisting with this investigation."

"So keep them here, keep them entertained, don't make them suspect anything." Scanlan said.

"That's right." Kima said. "And keep an eye on them. If you notice them disappearing at odd hours, or using second phones, or displaying any other unusual behaviors, let us know." She pulled out a sheet of paper and scribbled down a few numbers on it. "Here is my personal number, and Allura's. If anything happens, tell us right away."

"Right." Pike said, taking it. "Thank you."

"Scanlan, if you would follow me, we need to make sure your tracker is still working." Allura said, standing.

Scanlan saluted. "Sure thing."

Pike rose to go with him, but Kima waved her back into her seat. Once the door had shut behind Scanlan, Kima leaned forward. "Have you caught Scanlan interacting oddly with your family at all?"

Pike blinked. "Well- I'm at work all day. But I don't think he-"

Kima shook her head. "We're...concerned. We found some text logs this week that link your family to the same ring of counterfeiters Scanlan was known to be a part of. Have you overheard any conversations, seen any meaningful looks, anything strange that could mean they're hiding something from you?"

Pike bit her lip, thinking of the phone call, of Scanlan not telling her what excuse he'd given her family, of them showing up so early. And of his hidden phone, and his daughter. "I don't know where he told them we were tonight." she said. "He said it would be better if I didn't know."

Kima nodded. "I'll ask him about it on the way out. If you notice anything else, let me know, alright?"

"Right." Pike said. "Of course."

* * *

When they returned to the apartment, she found no evidence of the mysterious errand Scanlan had sent them on, although the Trickfoots were unusually cheerful. Pike caught them talking in whispers with Scanlan off in the corner more than once. Her paranoia prickled. He'd sounded sincere when he told her about his daughter, hadn't he?

Before they went to bed, Pike and Scanlan sat alone in her bedroom, coordinating a lunch meeting via text to discuss the new developments with Vox Machina. The others all readily agreed to a meeting around lunch that week, although Percy chose to express that through Vex. The only person who hadn't responded yet was Grog. Pike bit her lip in frustration.

"I'm gonna call him." she said at last when ten minutes had passed. She dialed his number and press send, holding the phone up to her ear. The phone rang for a long time, but eventually, she heard a click. "Yeah, Pike?"

"When are you free this week?" she said. "Around lunchtime?"

Grog's sigh rattled the speakers. "I'm not."

"Grog." Pike said.

"Don't wanna talk to him." Grog said. "Don't wanna pretend like this all is normal. Haven't you got enough with everyone else? Use Tary if you want even numbers. I don't like weddings and dressing up, anyways."

Pike sat down on the bed. "Look, Grog, what if, instead of being a groomsman or best man, you were my Man of Honor?"

For a moment, the only sound was Grog's breath against the receiver. "What do I get for that?"

"You get to plan my bachelorette party." Pike said. She lowered her voice. "It's going to come out of the police fund, since JB will be there."

"I thought you were trying to get them caught before then." Grog said, but his tone was much calmer.

"If that happens, we'll throw one anyways." Pike glanced at the door, hoping her family wasn't eavesdropping. "I'll pay with my doctor money."

"Fine." Grog said finally. "Wednesday at one. On one condition."

"What?" Pike asked.

"One, I get to punch him if he keeps being a dick. None of this forgiveness shit."

"If he's a dick." Pike said, looking at Scanlan. "Then, yes. But ask me first."

"Maybe." Grog said. "And two, I want to pick out my outfit, for the wedding."

"Of course." Pike said. "You can even come with us to the fitting if you want."

"And I want to pick out something for the rest of the bridesmaids to wear." Grog added.

"Nothing inappropriate, alright?" Pike said.

"Fine." said Grog after a moment. "Deal. Good night, buddy."

"Good night." Pike said. She hung up the phone and turned to Scanlan. "Grog is my Man of Honor. So that means you can have either Vex or Keyleth for your side, to even out the numbers."

"I choose Keyleth." Scanlan said. "Wouldn't want both twins on the same side, it would look tacky."

Pike smiled slightly, walking towards the bed. "You realize we're not actually going to hold a wedding, right?"

"Doesn't mean I can't dream." Scanlan said, leaning back. "Not about the marrying you part, I mean. The getting married part. I've always wanted a big wedding."

"Maybe we can have a party anyways once they're gone." Pike whispered, turning off the light. "I wouldn't be opposed to dressing up and drinking and dancing with everyone. It's our reward for making it through this."

"That would be nice." Scanlan said, settling under the covers. "A farewell party."

"Well, if you want to call it that." Pike said, sitting down on the bed. She pulled the covers over top of her, and rolled onto her stomach.

"We'll probably have to do some of this stuff together." Scanlan said, lowering his voice. "They're going to want to go with us. I've been talking to them and they really want to help us plan this wedding. It would be weird if I did everything by myself, even if you have a busy schedule."

"I know." Pike said. "We should talk to everyone on Wednesday, see if they have any suggestions to lighten the load."

"Not too much of it." Scanlan said. "We have to keep them entertained."

Pike sank further into her pillow, letting out a breath. "This is complicated."

"It's a wedding." Scanlan said. "I've played enough of those to know they always are."

"You're right." said Pike, turning her head to face him. "Maybe the rest of the group will have some ideas."

"Yeah, we could ask them on Wednesday." Scanlan said. He rolled away from her and fell quiet. Pike clutched her arms more tightly around her pillow, and closed her eyes, readying herself to drift off to sleep. She was alarmed at how quickly she'd gotten used to sharing a bed with Scanlan again.

"Pike?" Scanlan whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Don't tell the others about...my daughter. I don't know if I'm ready for them to know, yet."

Pike took a moment to respond. "I won't tell them anything you're not comfortable with." she said finally. "But..."

"But?"

"I think it might be a good idea to tell them the truth." Pike said. "They won't tell anyone, and I know they were all as hurt and as worried when you left."

"It's a big risk." Scanlan said.

Pike placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "If you like, I can just tell them you shared the reasons why you left, and you're not ready for everyone to know but I thought they were good reasons."

"That might be good." Scanlan said, placing his hand over hers for a moment.

When they let go, Pike rolled over onto her side, resting her hand on the pillow. It took a moment to realize what disconcerted her about it- she still wore her ring. She'd barely noticed it all day.

She was getting used to it, the practical part of her brain whispered. Still, until she fell asleep, Pike opened her eyes every few minutes and looked at the ring, to make sure it was still there.

* * *

 **Next up: Pike faces some uncomfortable truths.**


	8. Trust

**(early 2014)**

When Percy first moved in, he became part of their group skittishly, like a stray cat coaxed with milk. Keyleth invited him along whenever they went anywhere, and he gradually began to accept. Pike found she liked him- for all his mystery, he was funny, intelligent, and fascinating. He had an endless amount of knowledge on obscure topics he could relate to a conversation at a moment's notice, and yet he always managed to make it interesting. He also had a wickedly dark sense of humor Pike quite enjoyed, and could hold a drink better than most people she knew. Vax warmed to him quickly, and he and Vex seemed to get along alright. Pike could tell Grog didn't quite know what to make of him, however, and Percy didn't quite know what to make of Scanlan.

He was also amazing with computers, and he had little trouble finding work around the neighborhood, particularly when Vex recommended him to her boss at the Y for some network issues. So, one April night, when Pike's computer displayed strange error messages, she knew who to call.

She was in the middle of an important email, too. "Fuck." Pike said. She tried to click on the error messages popping up all over her screen, but somehow that made things worse. "Fuck. Come on." Her laptop screen turned black, and she groaned.

Scanlan, over on the couch, paused the tune he was playing on the violin. "What happened?"

"There's something wrong with my laptop." Pike said. "It's been acting up for weeks." She leaned back in the chair, running a hand through her hair. "I think I'm gonna ask Percy to take a look at it."

"Oh you are, are you?" asked Scanlan, tone laden with suggestion. "Get Percy to take a look at your computer?"

Pike turned in her chair, making a face at him. "Not everything's about sex."

Scanlan shrugged. "Most things are." He returned to his violin, and Pike shook her head and left.

As she knocked on Keyleth's door, her stomach flipped. She still wasn't used to Percy. He made her feel off in strange ways by always doing and saying the oddest things, and yet he was so fascinating Pike couldn't help but want to get to know him better.

After a moment, Percy came to the door. He opened it. "Yes, Pike?"

Pike tucked her hair behind her ear. "Could you- are you busy right now?"

Percy shook his head. "Was just going to take a nap. Why?"

"Oh, well, if you were going to take a nap, I can come back later."

"No, don't." Percy said. "I have a feeling whatever you're suggesting is a lot more interesting."

Pike smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear again. "I'm afraid not. My computer's acting up, I was wondering if you could take a look at it? I would pay you, of course-"

"No need." Percy said. "This can be repayment for helping me move in."

"Oh, well, thanks." Pike said, and Percy shut and looked his door, following him back up the hall. Pike tucked her bangs behind one ear again, and cursed Scanlan for her nerves.

"Pike." Percy said.

Pike turned- she had walked past her apartment door by accident. She flushed, returning to the door, and unlocking it. "Sorry. I was in the middle of an important email, I was just worrying about that."

"Right." Percy said. Pike walked calmly into the apartment, trying not to dwell on what she'd done. Scanlan, of course, had retreated to his bedroom, because he was Scanlan and he liked nothing more than causing trouble.

Percy blinked at the apartment. "Where is everyone?"

"Grog's out on a date, and Scanlan's in his room." Pike said, fidgeting nervously with her hair. "Uh, here it is." She lead him over to the kitchen table, where her laptop sat. "It started showing me these error messages in Chinese, and then it shut off completely. I know it's late, but do you want coffee?"

"Please." Percy said, sitting down in front of her computer and switching it on. He began typing furiously, with speed and focus that was almost terrifying.

Pike listened to him type as she made two cups of coffee, one for him, and one for herself. Scanlan had to be wrong. She didn't like Percy, he was so unusual. And yet.

"Fuck." Pike whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing." Pike said cheerily. "Spilled some coffee." She carried the mugs over to the kitchen table, and pulled a chair over to sit next to Percy, looking over his shoulder. She handed him the mug.

"Bless you." Percy said, immediately taking a sip. He'd managed to get the computer back on, but the screen still displayed those same Chinese error messages. Percy clicked around, occasionally pressing a few keys, doing whatever he did to get rid of them. Pike wondered if she should find something else to do, or if the silence only seemed awkward because her dick of a roommate had primed her for it.

Pike fidgeted in her seat. "So, where are you from?"

Percy's typing slowed, and he glanced at her. "What do you mean?"

Pike's cheeks warmed. "Well, when you moved in, you mentioned you hadn't been living in Emon for long. Where did you live before that?"

"Uh...nowhere in particular, actually." Percy said, continuing his work.

Pike sat back in her seat. "Oh."

"Oh, no, sorry, that was rude." Percy paused, rubbing his eyes. "I've been living around for a few years. I spent a while working on a cruise ship a year ago, and I've been traveling since then."

"That's really interesting." Pike said. "Grog and I worked on a cruise for a summer a few years ago, right after I graduated college. It was a lot of fun, we got to see a lot of interesting places."

"Yeah, yeah, it's something." Percy said, returning to his work.

After a moment, Pike asked, "What brought you here? Family?"

Percy shrugged. "Good tech industry. Thought I'd be able to make a decent living. And cheap housing. It's worked out quite well so far."

"Hmm." Pike said, taking a sip of her coffee. Percy was getting more and more fascinating by the moment. "So you never went to college?"

Percy stopped, looking at her. "What makes you think that?"

"You seem young, and you said you'd been traveling for a while." Pike said. "I don't mean to pry. I'm just curious."

"Oh, no, of course." Percy adjusted his glasses. "No, I didn't. Didn't have the money. Decided to work instead."

"Oh, okay." Pike said, settling back into her seat. It was infuriating. The more she learned about him, the more curious she became.

Percy clicked his tongue. "I think I solved the issue. You got a virus somehow. Have you downloaded anything less than safe lately?"

"Um." Pike reddened. "Some music, that's all."

"Yes, you should be careful with that." Percy said. He turned the screen towards her- it was now clean of error messages, pulled up to an unfamiliar website. "I downloaded you this antivirus software. It's a bit outdated, but it's really effective."

"Whitestone Security." Pike read out. "Thank you so much, Percy. You saved my email."

Percy smiled. "I'm sure you would've found another way. Thanks for the coffee."

After he left, Scanlan emerged from his room. Pike buried her face in her hands.

"Did he fix your computer?" Scanlan asked.

Pike made a rude hand gesture at him. "This is your fault."

Scanlan sat down across from her at the kitchen table. "Apparently all I have to do to win your love is dye my hair white and fix your computer. Who knew?"

"Love?" Pike repeated, disgusted. She groaned. "What do I do, Scanlan?"

"You could make a fool of yourself with a lot of silly comments and get shut down every time?" Scanlan asked.

"That's different. You don't actually like me."

Scanlan smiled. "Who says?"

"You're on a date with a different person every other week." said Pike.

"You've never said yes."

"Come on, Scanlan." Pike said, but he didn't laugh. She shook her head. "That's your advice? Date around?"

Scanlan shrugged. "Hasn't worked for me yet, but I know where you could start."

Before Pike could so much as sigh, the door opened, and Percy walked in. "I'm so sorry, Pike, I've just realized, I grabbed your mug when I left." He placed it down on the table. "Oh, hello, Scanlan."

Scanlan smiled at him. "Hello, Percival. Pike tells me you've been very helpful to her. Like a white knight, she said."

Pike shook her head. "That's not what I said."

"I wouldn't call myself any sort of knight." said Percy. "She just had a virus, it was simple enough."

"Still, that's impressive." Scanlan said, leaning forward with a grin. "You really helped her out."

Percy looked between them uncertainty. "I'm not sure what the joke is here, so I'm going to bed."

"Yes, you should get some sleep." Pike said worriedly. "You've got dark circles."

Percy rubbed at them. "Oh, no, these are permanent. Good night."

He left again, and Pike glared at Scanlan. "That wasn't very nice. To either of us. Now he's going to think we were making fun of him."

"It was really funny, though." said Scanlan.

Pike shook her head, grabbed her laptop, and stood. "You're a dick. I'm going to bed." She didn't bother waiting for a response.

* * *

 **(2017)**

Pike awoke the next morning to find Scanlan had gotten up earlier than her, for once. She shut off her alarm, listening to his voice in the main room. Pike stood, mentally preparing herself to join them, until Johann barked something angry. She paused behind the door.

"-gonna have to, then!" Johann was saying. "Or else, you know-"

"Hush." Pike, at first, could not place the voice. Ogden spoke in a commanding tone, more coherent than she'd ever heard. "Don't wake her up."

Scanlan said something in a low tone, and Pike strained to hear. Ogden laughed. "You'll find out, won't you?"

"Don't worry, dear." Astra said. "We keep our promises."

"She doesn't know anything." Scanlan replied. "I haven't told her. There's no need-"

"Oh, come on, we hear you two talking." said Astra.

"I didn't tell her anything." Scanlan said. "Just, please-"

Pike's phone chose that inopportune moment to ding with a new text from Vax. Pike stifled a curse as the conversation outside paused.

"She's up." Johann said. "Remember what we said."

Footsteps creaked towards the door. With only a few seconds to act, Pike panicked, tossing her phone onto the bed and darting into the bathroom. She turned on the shower, stripping quickly, and leaned against the wall, heart pounding in her ears. She'd trusted him.

Pike too a deep breath, pressing her hands to her face. She didn't know the full story yet, she reminded herself. Scanlan was arguing with her family, with...with Ogden, who clearly wasn't as feeble as she'd thought. And Scanlan acted sincere when he told her about his daughter, before.

But he was a fantastic liar, wasn't he?

She should go to Kima and Allura immediately. At the very least, she should tell her friends, so they could help her figure out what was going on. But what about Scanlan's daughter, and his court deal? Did it matter, if he was working with her family?

Pike knew what she had to do. She just needed a moment alone to do it.

* * *

They explained the abridged version of the situation to the rest of the group over lunch in a crowded diner on Wednesday. It took some finagling to get all seven of them into one large booth, order all the food, and work out whose turn it was to pay for who. With Scanlan back, it felt almost like their group had three years ago before they'd all moved, and if Pike hadn't been preoccupied with what she'd overheard, she would have even enjoyed it.

"-and thank you very much." Scanlan said as he finished giving his order to the rather harried-looking waiter. He handed the waiter their stack of menus, brushing their fingers together. "I look forward to seeing you again."

The waiter's eyes flicked down to Scanlan's hand, and his ring. He took the menu gingerly. "Uh, okay. Your food will be out in a minute."

"Oh, it's fine." Pike said, raising her left hand. "He's engaged to me, it's an open thing."

Vax and Vex simultaneously nearly choked on their drinks.

"Right." said the water. "Uh...bye." He turned around and left, nearly tripping over a table in his hurry.

Immediately after he left, half of the group burst into laughter. Percy buried his face in his hands. "Someday we're going to run out of waiters who are willing to serve us."

"Oh, we always tip well, I doubt we'll get that far." Vex said, taking a elegant sip of her iced water. "I'll calm him down if it comes to that."

"Somehow I don't think another taken person flirting with him will change anything." Percy said.

Vex laid her hand on the back of his neck. "I won't be flirting with him, I save that for you."

Percy stuttered a response, but Vax cut him off. "All right, you two, let's talk about what we're here for. I presume this has to do with your wedding?"

Pike looked around the restaurant, on some half-baked fear the Trickfoots might have followed her here. She glanced at Scanlan to find him doing the same thing, and wondered if he was acting. After a moment, he nodded at her.

Pike explained what Kima and Allura had told them Monday, leaving out Scanlan's potential connections to counterfeiting and his daughter. "So we're going to need your help." she finished. "They want us to throw events, like showers and tastings and fittings, to keep them distracted while they track down this leader. So, will you help us? Be our wedding party?"

The rest of the group traded glances. "Can't say I ever expected this, but sure." Vax said. "I'm willing to help you out, and I assume the rest of us are." He looked around at the table.

"I am." said Keyleth. "It sounds like fun, we haven't had a good party in a while. And we'll finally take care of your family. Er, sorry, Pike."

Pike shook her head, looking at Scanlan. "No, I want them off the street."

"Agreed." said Vex, drumming her nails on the table. "And it will be fun to have some dressup events. Maybe Slayer's Cake can cater, Tary can help us out."

"So we're your groomsmen and bridesmaids?" Vax asked. "That means Percy, Grog, and I have to invent a fake past three years with Scanlan?"

"Actually, Grog is my man of honor." Pike said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "JB is one of my bridesmaids, and we were thinking that Vex could be the third. Percy, Vax, and Keyleth will be on Scanlan's side."

"Really." Percy said. Vex rubbed his shoulder.

"Oh, that's cool." Keyleth glanced nervously at Percy. "I mean, I'm alright with that. I mean, it makes sense, the numbers are even that way, and I bet I could find a dress that works really well with the other two."

"Well, we won't really be having the ceremony." Scanlan said, waving his hand. "So you won't need to buy a dress."

"You can come to the bridesmaids fitting." Pike suggested gently, although her eyes remained on Percy. His expression hadn't changed, but his fingers twitched on the table.

"And if you two need a wedding planner, I think my brother has a perfect suggestion." Vex said, laying her hand on Percy's arm.

Vax shook his head. "He quit event planning. He runs his own store now, instead. Doing really well, apparently."

"Oh, is this Gilmore?" Keyleth asked, curling her arm around Vax. "I've always wanted to meet him, you know, he sounds like a really cool guy."

Vex arched an eyebrow. "Wait, you know about Gilmore?"

"Yeah, I talk about him." Vax said.

"Hold on, who is this?" asked Scanlan.

"My ex, Gilmore." Vax said. "Only Vex ever met him, we dated during my first year in Emon."

"But I thought you were single when we first met." Grog said. "You told me that, like, nine times."

Vex snorted as Vax's pale face reddened. Keyleth looked between him and Grog. "Wait, what's going on?"

"Yes, I broke up with him before I met you, Grog." Vax said. "And let's not dwell on that right now. The point is-"

"My brother befriended Grog because he saw him at the gym where we worked and started hitting on him." Vex said. "And now here we are, five years later, all still best friends." She winked at Vax. "That's the point."

The waiter thankfully interrupted the ensuing silence by arriving with their orders.

"Um, anyways." Pike said. "I don't think we're going to get a wedding planner involved. It's already too complicated, and we'd have to explain the situation."

"Well if you do, you should consider Gilmore." Vax said. "I would trust him with some things that I cannot even trust my own sister with."

"Sorry, darling." Vex said as she cut her pancake into pieces. "Some secrets have to come out eventually."

"Wait, you were hitting on me?" asked Grog.

Vax buried his face in his hands. "Fucking kill me."

"He wasn't hitting on me!" Grog leaned forward. "Scanlan, you were there when we hung out, tell them."

Scanlan's eyes widened. "Well- I don't think Vax expected you to ask me to come along."

"Just fucking strangle me." muttered Vax.

"Grog, he asked you to spend the night watching movies." Vex said. "He told you to bring over a case of beers."

Grog shrugged. "I thought he was just being friendly. That sounds like a great night to me."

"Wait, you used that line on Grog, too?" Keyleth asked.

Vax, at this point, had his head resting on the table, hands over him for protection. He raised his head slowly. "All right, I saw Grog a few times when I was picking up Vex from work, I thought he was attractive, I found out he lived down the hall, I made a move, yes."

"You never told me this!" Keyleth said, giggling.

"I took Grog bringing Scanlan over as a sign that he wasn't interested, so I never tried anything, and then we ended up being friends." Vax said. "Can we move on to the extremely pressing business at hand, please? If you want, I can give you Gilmore's number. If not, we should-"

"Wait, you still have his number?" Keyleth asked with a grin. "Did you keep Grog's, too?"

Vax laid his head on the table again. "Fuck."

* * *

 **Next up: Fighting, flirting, dancing, kidnapping.**


	9. Charm

**A/N: So this is where the story is going to start earning its mature rating in terms of violence. Nothing too bad in this chapter, but there will be a bit of brawling, and later chapters will include use of guns, as well as mild to serious injuries and...not exactly torture, but definitely intentional infliction of a lot of hurt? Just a warning.**

* * *

 **(early 2013)**

It was important to note Vox Machina didn't spend all their time drinking. Living together for so long had given them plenty of time for other things- grabbing meals together, a Sunday brunch tradition they'd tried to start for a while, spontaneous walks around the city, visiting each other's apartments, playing video games, talking.

For every couple of those interactions, though, they had a night like this.

Pike's heart pounded in time to the thudding of the music. She, Keyleth, Vex, Vax, and Scanlan clustered in the middle of the crowd, all dancing their hearts out while Grog and Tiberius held a table for them by the bar. Keyleth and Vax danced close together, Keyleth slightly offbeat, and Pike eyed them as she bounced with Vex. She'd seen the way those two looked at each other, lately.

Scanlan worked his way over to Pike and Vex and placed his hands on their backs. "I'm going to go get another drink." he shouted over the music. Vex and Pike nodded, and Scanlan disappeared into the crowd.

The song ended, and a new one began. Pike recognized this one- a new mix on an old Sarenrae song, with a fantastic beat. Vex grinned, and waved at someone behind her. Pike turned. Tiberius worked his way through the crowd, looking out of place with his button-down shirt and round spectacles. Pike and Vex waved him over, and as he joined the group, Vax and Keyleth expanded their circle to envelop him and Vex and Pike. They danced together for the rest of the song. As Sarenrae sang the final chorus, Pike turned mid-jump and spotted Grog's bearded face over the crowd.

"It's Grog!" Pike shouted to the others, and they all turned, waving at Grog. Instead of making his way over, though, Grog met Pike's eyes, and Pike paused. He didn't look excited; he looked worried, and a little angry. He turned and disappeared into the crowd.

"I think something's wrong." Pike said. "I'm gonna go make sure he's okay."

"Text us if you need anything." Keyleth called, and Pike nodded, pushing through them towards where she'd seen Grog disappear.

Now that the joy of the Sarenrae song had been replaced by concern for Grog, she became aware of how hot the room was, how many strangers pressed in around her, how sweaty she'd become. She'd had Vax pile her hair into two buns for the night, and they were falling loose, pins tugging at her head and giving her the beginnings of a headache.

Finally, Pike found her way through the crowd to the end of the room. Grog had vanished, but a door in the wall proclaimed itself EXIT in bright red letters. After glancing around, Pike pulled open the door. As she stepped through, tense voices and a blast of cold air met her immediately.

She'd come out into the alley behind the club. Directly across from her sat dirty trash bins. The ground around them was speckled with cigarette butts and other rubbish, the brick wall across from her smeared with faded graffiti. Pike turned, about to call Grog's name, and stopped.

In the dim light of a nearby streetlight, several people huddled around Grog's tall figure. "I'm sorry, folk, I didn't know she was taken, she gave no indication." Scanlan said, somewhere inside the crowd.

"Are you fucking with me, little man?" asked an unfamiliar woman.

Pike pulled out her phone, fired off a quick _Come out back now_ to Keyleth, and tucked it in her pocket, walking quickly towards the crowd.

"Hey, step away from him." Grog barked, moving forward, and Pike broke into a jog. Five figures stood around Scanlan and Grog, a mixture of men and women, all muscular and imposing.

"Or what?" asked the woman again, stepping towards him. "What are you going to do about it?"

Pike ran as Grog shoved the woman and the crowd erupted into shouts. A blow thudded against skin, and someone grunted in pain, and then things began moving very quickly.

Pike grabbed the first stranger she found, and pulled them roughly away from the rest of the crowd. "Scanlan!" she shouted- Grog could handle himself. The person she'd shoved grabbed her shoulder, and Pike whirled around to face them. Her opponent was a weedy man with a thick beard, but, as she registered his appearance, his fist collided with her jaw.

Pain exploded through her head and sent her momentarily reeling, but Pike grit her teeth, and struck back with all her might, aiming for the man's gut. As he doubled over, grunting, she aimed another blow at his ear. He stumbled to the side, and someone's fist collided with Pike's back.

Pike staggered, holding onto the wall, but remained upright. She ducked as she whirled around, and another fist sailed over her head. Pike aimed a kick right at the crotch of her new opponent, and they cried out, but as they moved away, the first man was behind her again, and shoved her roughly against the brick wall.

Pike was losing track of who she was up against, where Grog and Scanlan were, how many still stood. Her focus was only on dodging the next blow, and the next, and the next, and getting in hits when she could. Finally, one of her enemies vanished from the space around her, and she found a little breathing room. She managed to land a punch on her opponent's nose, and as he bent over, Pike let her focus expand. The others had apparently gotten her text, as the darkclad figure of Vax was to her left, taking care of one of her former opponents. Grog was a few yards away, fighting two people at once, and Scanlan she finally spotted to her right, now that she had more space. He looked to be in trouble, cornered up against a wall by a woman, hands over his face.

The man in front of Pike roughly grabbed her hair, but before he could do anything, a bottle shattered against the side of his head and he dropped. She glanced over her shoulder to see Tiberius, Keyleth, and Vex at the other end of the alley, Vex with her arm raised. Pike waved a thank you to them before hurrying over to Scanlan. She punched his attacker in the side, and as the woman turned, stomped on her foot, and followed it up with a punch to the stomach and a knee to the nose as the woman doubled over. The woman fell to her knees momentarily, and Pike used the respite to turn to Scanlan, grabbing his shoulders. "Are you all right?"

Scanlan coughed. "Behind you."

Hands tugged Pike away, and someone dealt a heavy blow to her lower back. She stumbled forward, and her assailant shoved her again, sending her down. A foot connected with her ribs, and she curled up in pain.

And then an arm yanked her up. "C'mon." Vax said, pulling her after him into a run. "Vex! Get Scanlan!"

In the alley, someone was shouting. Pike looked back as she stumbled after Vax. Vex tugged Scanlan along, Tiberius and Keyleth trying unsuccessfully to extract Grog. Of the five they'd been fighting, Grog was still entangled with two, while the others were either picking themselves up from the ground or staring at the other end of the alley. It took Pike a moment to register who was shouting- a bouncer was shooing them out of the alley, with curses and threats of legal reparations.

Pike pulled Vax to a stop, standing on her tiptoes to reach his ear. "They need help with Grog."

"Stay here." Vax said, turning immediately, but Pike followed him.

Keyleth and Tiberius were both tugging at Grog, trying to talk to him, but he was too intent on his task. Their foes were also trying to drag back his opponents. Vax pushed his way in between the fight, taking a punch to the shoulder from one of the pair. Pike joined Keyleth and Tiberius in trying to hold Grog back, and together, their combined strength plus Vax's distraction was enough for the two Grog was fighting to make a break for it, with the rest of their group.

Grog thrashed in their grip. "Let- me- go!"

"If you don't get him under control, I'm calling the cops!" the bouncer shouted.

"Grog." Pike said, letting go of his arm and standing in front of him to make eye contact. "Grog, they're gone."

Grog held her eyes for a moment. Then, with a final shove, he shook off Keyleth and Tiberius. He didn't run, however- he walked sullenly out of the alley, after Vex and Scanlan.

* * *

No one spoke on the way home, besides Tiberius muttering to Keyleth. As the adrenaline wore off, Pike's body began to ache. Her mind, always in med student mode, catalogued all the places that might bruise, and debated the source of the blood in her mouth. Vax and Grog seemed fine, but she worried about Scanlan. He had little experience with fights, and he leaned heavily on Vex as he walked.

When they got back to the hallway in between their apartments, Keyleth finally burst out, "What were you guys thinking? We could've been arrested!"

"They were going after Scanlan." Grog grunted.

"What happened? How did it start?" asked Vax.

Scanlan rubbed his face, wincing. "I may have tried to make a move on a lady who may not have been single."

"They dragged him outside." said Grog. "I was just trying to stop them." He spat on the floor.

"You should've called the police!" Keyleth said. "Instead of starting a brawl-"

Vex snorted. "You really think they would've arrived in time?"

"Look, we're not going to settle this tonight." Vax said. "We're all fucking tired, it's been a long night, let's go to bed. Pike, you'll look at Scanlan, yeah?"

"Of course." said Pike, and the group split up, everyone heading for their own apartments.

Grog went straight to his room and shut the door. Pike, however, dragged Scanlan over to the couch, and sat down across from him, knee-to-knee. He wasn't slurring his speech earlier, but Vex had supported him up the stairs. She gripped his face, watching his eyes to make sure they focused on her. "How are you feeling?"

"Incredible." Scanlan said, coughing.

Pike wrinkled her nose, but she was relieved he answered without hesitation. "Any nausea, dizziness, blurred vision?"

"No." said Scanlan, eyes flicking downwards. "Pike, I'm all right. Just a little bruised."

"You wanna tell me Percy's full name?"

Scanlan shook his head. "I can't even do that when I'm sober."

Pike looked over the rest of his face, searching for any bruises or cuts. "Well, I don't think you have a concussion, but you might have a black eye. Where did they hit you?"

"Everywhere. I may need you to kiss a few things better." He winced. "Ugh, sorry, that wasn't great."

Pike shook her head, letting go of Scanlan's face, and nearly tripped over the table standing up. She headed to the fridge to find it, of course, empty.

"You'll need to buy something for your eye tomorrow." she said, rifling through the freezer, even though the only things Grog and Scanlan kept in there were giant packages of ice and months-old tv dinners. "Some ointment, maybe. Otherwise it's gonna swell up really badly." For the moment, Pike made do, digging through the drawers for Scanlan's sandwich bags, and putting some ice in.

"Thank you for backing me up." Scanlan said. "And Grog, too."

Pike made an unhappy noise in her throat as she wrapped the bag in a dishcloth and handed it to Scanlan. "For your eye."

"Thank you." Scanlan said, taking it. He let out a sigh as he pressed it against his face. "Oh, that's heavenly. You know, you would make a great doctor."

Pike folded her arms, not letting him charm her out of this one. "You need to learn self-defense."

"I'm a lover, not a fighter." Scanlan said, leaning back on the couch and stretching out his legs.

"No, you should." Pike said. She crossed over to Grog's bedroom door, leaning against it. "This isn't the first time you've gotten in trouble like this. Grog and I could teach you, he's really good."

Scanlan lowered the ice pack from his face. "I don't know."

"You should." Pike said firmly. "If only so you don't ever get a black eye right before a gig. You gotta protect that pretty face of yours."

Scanlan managed a smile. "Thanks."

"Good night, Scanlan."

"Good night, Pike." Scanlan said. And then, because he was Scanlan, "Don't stay up all night dreaming about my pretty face."

"Oh, Scanlan." Pike sighed, before opening the door and slipping inside Grog's room.

* * *

 **(2017)**

Pike managed to get a few hours alone with Scanlan by telling her family they needed a date night. The past day had been difficult, not confronting Scanlan, but she couldn't talk to him anywhere they might be overheard.

They waited in line for coffee in silence. Pike noticed Scanlan glancing at her, so she pulled out her phone, pretending to be on Facebook. She hoped he couldn't see the worry in her face.

After they'd gotten their coffees, Pike found a relatively isolated table near the back. "You alright?" Scanlan asked as he sat across from her.

Pike sipped her coffee. "I want the whole truth." she said, not looking at him. "What are you doing with my family?"

Scanlan faltered, and Pike met his eyes. "I heard you talking with them the other morning. You said I didn't know anything. What don't I know?"

Scanlan's eyes darted towards the door. "Astra and Johann and I were just planning an engagement party." He smiled. "It was supposed to be a surprise."

"Scanlan, you're lying." Pike said. "You were fighting with them, you said you hadn't told me anything."

"The engagement party." Scanlan repeated, but he was fiddling with his coffee cup.

Pike shook her head. "I only asked you before telling Kima and Allura because I wanted to give you a chance, but if you don't tell me what's going on..."

Scanlan stared down at his coffee, frowning. "Pike, look, it's like what I told you earlier, it's complicated."

Pike leaned forward. "I want to help you." she whispered. Scanlan's eyes remained on his coffee cup. "I honestly do. I don't want you to go back to jail. But if I can't trust you..."

Scanlan looked up again, examining the room.

"What are you looking for?" asked Pike.

Scanlan smiled, somewhat bitterly. "Friends of mine. You're not the only one who doesn't trust me. I think we're alright, though."

Pike waited, and Scanlan let out a long, slow breath.

"I haven't told you how I got arrested." he said. "Or what they think I'm guilty of."

"No." Pike said. "You haven't."

Scanlan nodded. "Well, my daughter and I-" He broke off, rubbing a finger against his nose. "Uh, we repaid the debt she owed, six months ago. And then they asked us to pay interest, and we did. And then they kept asking for more, so we left."

"Left what?" Pike asked.

"Your family-" Scanlan's eyes flicked around the room again, and he lowered his voice. "They run a large ring of counterfeiters and scammers in the area. My daughter and I have been working for them for the past three years to pay off the money she borrowed. We finally earned enough, they wouldn't let us go."

"Counterfeit?" Pike asked. "Like-"

"What Kima and Allura were talking about, yeah." Scanlan said, not looking at her. "I know who the leader is."

"Then why not tell them?" Pike said quietly. "I'm sure you could make a deal and stay out of jail-"

Scanlan shook his head. "Let me finish." he said. "A week after we'd made our escape, I came home, and she wasn't there. She wouldn't answer her phone. I went out looking, I wasn't careful, and I got arrested, and ended up here."

He paused, taking a breath. Pike sipped her coffee, waiting for him to continue. "They've got her." he said finally. "If the leader is arrested, she'll be killed. They want me either back or in jail, they don't want me saying anything, and they- they know this wedding is fake. I told them everything by payphone that first day, so they wouldn't kill her. They got me a new cell phone. They're not here for the wedding, they're here for some diamond jewelry Wilhand has. And they want me to help them, or they're going to kill her."

"How do I know you're not lying again?" Pike asked.

"You'll have to trust me." Scanlan said. "Same as I'm trusting you not to tell the police or anyone about this. I know I've lied, a lot-"

Pike held up a hand. "I need to think about this." she said. "This is a lot of information."

"I understand." said Scanlan.

Pike closed her eyes, focusing for a second. She had no reason to trust him. Every instinct in her, every part of her mind, screamed at her, reminding her of how he'd left, how he'd lied, the night before he left, Kima and Allura's warnings about aiding a criminal...

And yet.

Pike opened her eyes. "If we were to rescue your daughter," she said, "then could you make a deal with the police to name the leader in order to get a reduced sentence for you and her?"

"I might." Scanlan said. "I'm sure I could convince them. But if they know the police are trying to rescue her-"

"I'm not talking about the police." Pike said. "I'm talking about Vox Machina."

* * *

They stood outside of their apartment after the coffee date, hand-in-hand.

"We can't let them know you know." Scanlan whispered.

"I know." Pike said.

"We've got to make them think we're trying to convince them."

"I know."

It didn't make her palms any less sweaty, though. Pike had never been the best liar, and lies upon lies were getting to be too much for her.

They paused outside of her apartment door. She turned to look at Scanlan, and he squeezed her hand in reassurance. Pike opened the door.

A wall of noise met them immediately. "Surprise!" shouted what sounded like a thousand voices at once, and Pike put a hand over her mouth.

While they were gone, the room had been gaudily decorated, with streamers thrown everywhere and balloons taped to walls around the room. A banner above her bedroom door proclaimed CONGRATULATIONS in bright letters. And while it wasn't a thousand people, there were still plenty- the Trickfoots, Vox Machina, and Wilhand had all gathered in her room, as well as a few of her friends from work and a few people she didn't recognize, and a very excited-looking Trinket.

"You..." Pike began, looking at Scanlan.

"Kiss him, honey, it was his idea!" shouted Astra. The eyes of the entire group were focused on her, particularly Vox Machina's.

"Yep." Scanlan said, and only from knowing him for so long could Pike detect his nervousness.

Pike cupped his cheek with one hand and kissed him, and a cheer went up from the crowd. When they pulled away, Pike kept her hand in his. She glanced at the crowd, at her oblivious coworkers, at the Trickfoots watching with a little too much glee, at the members of Vox Machina with frozen smiles, at Wilhand. Thankfully, Trinket chose that moment to bound up to her and Scanlan, and the mood relaxed somewhat as Pike let go of Scanlan's hand to pet him.

"Thank you for coming to our engagement party, everyone." Scanlan said. "Can we open some champagne?"

* * *

An hour in, they opened gifts. Most were typical wedding gifts, or fine bottles of wine, both of which Pike appreciated, and then she got to Wilhand's gift.

"I'm afraid the presentation isn't much." he said. Indeed, the gift rested in a simple box, wrapped with the same plain wrapping paper Wilhand had used for years. "But it's something I hope you'll appreciate very much."

At that, Johann and Astra straightened. Pike smiled. "Thank you, grandpa."

She tore open the package to reveal a box, and removed the lid. As expected, she found jewelry, carefully wrapped in tissue paper- a gorgeous crystalline necklace, chain dark with rust, and a set of earrings to match. Pike lifted the necklace out of the box, slowly. She worried it might snap from age.

"The Trickfoot wedding jewels." Wilhand said. "Just in time for your wedding day."

"They're beautiful." Pike said. And they were, glittering even in the plain light of her apartment. "Thank you so much, grandpa." Pike stood to hug him.

"Oh, you're welcome, my child." Wilhand said, voice quavering as he wrapped his arms around her. "I am so, so proud of the person you've become." He pulled away, eyes glinting with tears.

She hugged him again. "I love you."

"I love you too." he said, and released her. "Now, you keep those safe. They're worth a lot of money. Don't take them to your bachelorette party, you hear?"

Pike laughed. "I promise."

Where in this small apartment could she hide the jewelry?

Nowhere.

After all the presents had been opened, and the party was breaking up, Pike made her way over to Vax and Trinket. "Can you get Wilhand's box to Grog and tell him keeping it at his apartment is his first Man of Honor duty?" Pike whispered, kneeling down to pet Trinket.

Vax nodded. "Sure, absolutely. And, Pike..." He paused. "You're okay, aren't you?"

Pike smiled. "Yeah. I mean, it's weird, but, yeah, I think I'm as okay as I can be."

* * *

Later that night, after everyone had left and they'd cleaned up and said good night, Pike and Scanlan sat alone in their room, quietly sharing Pike's phone. They'd decided to forgo getting another hour alone with Vox Machina, and instead told them through group text. Scanlan had difficulty giving up every new piece of information about his daughter, her last whereabouts, her appearance, her contacts, her previous address, but he did when Vax asked for it, although always after some hesitation.

"They're not going to tell." Pike said, looking over at him. "None of them are that mad at you."

Scanlan nodded, not looking up. Keyleth's last question still rested unanswered at the bottom of the feed. _What's her name?_

After a moment, he responded, _Kaylie._

"Kaylie?" Pike asked immediately, although she knew the answer.

Scanlan nodded again. "She didn't tell me til the morning after Halloweenfest." he said.

Pike's memories of Kaylie were vague, but she remembered the fight she and Scanlan had over her. And the week after Halloweenfest, how distracted Scanlan had been, how he was always on his phone or on his way out the door. "I thought you were worrying about your album." she said. "I didn't know..."

"I didn't tell you, or anyone." Scanlan said. "I lied on our last no bullshit night."

"I know." Pike said. "I lied to you, too. Before then."

"Really." Scanlan said, looking up. "When?"

Pike slipped deeper under the covers, not meeting his eyes. "Um...I think it was, you asked something like why your nighttime guests bothered me. And I didn't say I was jealous."

"Oh."

"Which was back then, of course." Pike stared up at the ceiling. "Three years ago."

Thankfully, Vex texted in the silence that followed. Scanlan returned to her phone, and Pike stayed where she was, staring up at the ceiling.

She passed her thumb over her lips, thinking about the last week with Scanlan, about the way they'd left things before he disappeared. About the last no bullshit night, and their last night on the Greyskull roof together.

"You should talk to Grog. And Percy. And everyone." she said quietly. "I think knowing why- I think knowing why helps some, but Grog was really worried about you when you disappeared. And you said some awful things to get him to leave you alone."

Scanlan leaned over her, setting the phone on her nightstand. "I could go with you when you work out this weekend."

"What about..." Pike jerked her chin towards the door to the living room.

"We'll figure something out." Scanlan said, shifting until he lay beside her. "Maybe the others could take them for a bit. They could visit the Slayer's Cake, catch up some."

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Pike said, nodding.

"Yeah." Scanlan whispered. Under the sheets, his hand brushed up against hers, his pinky crossing over her pinky.

Pke turned to look at him. His eyes remained on the ceiling. Gently, she took his hand, interlacing their fingers together. He tilted his head to meet her eyes, and held her gaze.

Pike's phone buzzed. Pike looked away instinctively, but it was only a text from Keyleth. _She sounds lovely_ , she'd said.

"I'm gonna go to sleep." Pike whispered, reaching for the lamp beside her. "You ready?"

"Yeah. Good night, Pike."

Pike switched off the lamp, leaving them in darkness. "Good night, Scanlan."

It took her awhile to fall asleep. Scanlan's breathing didn't become even while she was awake, either, not for several long minutes.

* * *

 **Next up: Scanlan learns how to throw a punch.**


	10. Sparring

**(early 2013)**

"Again." Grog said.

Scanlan assumed the proper stance, facing off with the pillow Pike held in front of her chest. Grog and Vex had tried to talk the manager at the Y into letting Grog borrow some equipment, but the manager had simply suggested Scanlan enroll in one of their classes. So here they were, standing on a mattress in the small living area of their apartment, Pike holding up a pillow for Scanlan to use as a punching bag, Grog watching Scanlan's punches and correcting his form.

Pike felt another thud against her pillow, far too light.

"Put your full weight into it." Grog said, spreading his feet apart next to Scanlan. "The punch comes from your back foot, like this." He went through the steps slowly, demonstrating the fluid motion of a punch, and Pike smiled. She always loved seeing Grog in teacher mode.

"Don't smile, Pike." Scanlan complained and Pike met his eyes. He still had the fading marks of a black eye on his face. He usually covered it up with foundation, but the workout they'd been putting him through had caused him to sweat it off. "It makes it harder to punch you."

"I can punch you if you want." Pike said. Scanlan clutched his chest, pretending to be wounded.

"Stop flirting, go again." Grog said. "Scanlan. Don't worry about hurting Pike, she can take it."

"Yeah, I can." Pike said, grinning at Scanlan.

Scanlan closed his eyes. "All right." He punched again. Pike was caught off guard by the force of this one, and, although he wasn't particularly forceful, she stumbled back a step.

"Better." said Grog, folding his arms in satisfaction.

Scanlan grinned at Pike. "Did you see that? I'm getting so good!"

"Yeah you are." Pike said. "I could still probably take you though." She lifted the pillow. "Again?"

"Actually, I think that's enough punches." Grog said. "You ready to spar against Pike?"

Pike met Scanlan's eyes. She smiled challengingly, and Scanlan wiggled his eyebrows.

Grog groaned. "Gross. I said stop flirting."

Pike reddened. "I wasn't flirting."

"Didn't mean you." Grog said. "Get in position. Pike, go slow, okay? The beginning sequence I taught you in high school."

Pike nodded, holding up her fists. She hadn't used that sequence for anything but warming up in years, but muscle memory was a powerful thing.

Scanlan mirrored, looking up at Grog. "And what do I do?"

Grog grinned. "Block. And try to hit if you can. Ready? Aaand..."

* * *

That night, sleeping over at Grog's in his cot, Pike had trouble sleeping. Part of it was the particularly stressful week of school she'd had, but that wasn't all.

She and Scanlan had sparred for maybe ten to twenty minutes, taking frequent water breaks, Pike always making sure to help Scanlan up when he fell and compliment him on whatever he'd done right, to prevent him from getting frustrated. It was the same way Grog had taught her, years and years ago. Only, this didn't feel the same as her and Grog.

Something was different about sparring with someone your own height. You spent a lot more time face to face. And Scanlan and Pike had always had an undercurrent in their friendship, one mostly sustained by Scanlan's constant flirting, but present nonetheless. And, well, maybe spending so much time in extremely close quarters with him wasn't such a good idea.

Still, as much as she wanted to believe her restlessness was because of the stresses of the day, she had a feeling it was something else. One moment kept replaying in her mind, where she'd managed to pin Scanlan underneath her, and for the briefest moment, he'd met her eyes before tapping out. He'd been sweating all over, chest rising and falling with exertion, eyes wide, hair mussed all over the floor. His t-shirt stuck to him with sweat, his face hovering close to hers as Pike leaned over him, sitting on his hips, pinning his arms to the ground. For the briefest of moments, they held each other's eyes, and not for the first time, Pike pictured accepting the open invitation of his cheeky comments. Then, Scanlan had tapped out, and Pike had rolled off of him, feeling both relieved and disappointed. The room had warmed considerably in the past few seconds, and she was grateful when Scanlan asked for a water break.

Pike flushed and rolled over in bed, clutching her pillow. Well, the issue had never been whether or not she was attracted to Scanlan. He was an attractive, charismatic man, she'd always thought so. Her reservations were with his immaturity, not her personal opinions of his looks.

Pike shifted onto her back, wishing for a cure to this feeling of alertness, besides the obvious. She would go back in the living room, maybe sit with the window open for a while to calm herself down, but she feared Scanlan might be thinking along the same lines.

Instead, she rolled over onto her stomach again, and resolved to let Grog handle Scanlan's self-defense training from now on. She managed to keep her mind on other things long enough to get sleepy, but she'd be lying if she said Scanlan wasn't in any of her dreams that night.

* * *

(2017)

On Saturday, Pike and Scanlan rose early, dressed, and said their goodbyes to the Trickfoots. As soon as they walked out of sight of the apartment windows, Pike let go of Scanlan's hand, letting herself relax. For once, she had no work to do, no lying, just a little time to punch things. The morning was beautiful, too, exactly the kind of pleasant, still morning they didn't get much in the city.

"Have you been keeping up with your training?" she asked as they waited for the bus. "We taught you, what, four years ago?"

"Yeah, I've had some opportunity to." Scanlan said, gesturing at the scar over his eye with a smile.

"We match now." Pike said.

"Yeah."

They rode the bus in silence, getting off a short walk away from the gym.

"They pay him much more than the YMCA did." Pike said. "He gets to choose his own schedule, some of the time. He's got a lot more authority."

"Good, good." Scanlan said, running a hand through his hair. He still didn't look fully awake, or maybe he was anxious about Grog.

Grog's fitness center bustled with activity as always, with the squeak of sneakers on tile, the pop music thudding from the speakers, the shouts of fitness trainers, and the clank of weights hitting the floor. Pike flashed her membership card to the high schooler behind the counter and strode in, searching for Grog's tall form.

She found him, almost immediately, waiting near the front of the gym. "Hey." he said. "I got us a room." Grog jerked his thumb towards the back of the gym. "The one we always get."

"Thanks, Grog." said Pike. She pointed out the men's locker rooms to Scanlan and left him to find her own locker.

Pike reached the practice room first, tying her hair back into a tight ponytail. Grog was already in there, working on a punching bag. As always, the full strength of Grog's punches left Pike in awe. She knew the jewelry would be safe in his apartment, as long as he lived there.

She let Grog get a few more punches off before she cleared her throat. Grog turned around, wiping sweat off of his brow.

"You murdered that bag." Pike said. "I wish I could be as strong as you are."

"Oh, you are, remember that one guy who tried to mug Keyleth a few months ago?" Grog said. "You got in that great gut punch before he could get away!"

"I'm a good height for it." Pike said. She tugged at her ponytail, making sure it was secure. "I hope Scanlan didn't get lost."

At the mention of Scanlan, Grog frowned, and turned back to the punching bag.

"Look, I don't want you to feel like you have to forgive him, alright?" Pike said. "I still haven't. We're on better terms, but everything's not okay. He just wants to talk."

"He could've asked us for help." Grog muttered. "I would've taken care of them for him."

"I know." Pike said, but before she could say anything else, the door opened and Scanlan entered.

He blinked at both of them. "Big gym." he said. "Took me a while to get up here. It's a nice place, Grog."

Grog turned, punching the bag again. "Thanks." he said after a moment.

"Scanlan told me on the bus ride over that he's been keeping up with his practice." Pike said. "He thinks he might have a few new tricks."

"Well, I wouldn't say that." Scanlan said, tying back his hair. "I did end up with a nasty scar."

"I saw." Grog said, clearly struggling not to be impressed. Grog always had a thing for scars, as long as she'd known him. "Show me." Scanlan pointed at the scar. "No, what you've learned."

"Grog..." Pike said warningly.

"After we warm up." Grog added.

Grog warmed them up quickly. Pike knew why he shone as a fitness trainer and gym instructor- he was good at getting them moving, good at keeping them motivated, good at pushing without overdoing it. She kept an eye on Scanlan as they moved through the motions. Back in the older days, he had joined in on their workouts only sporadically, claiming he was too old to try and be healthy, and when he had, he had always broken a sweat much more quickly than Pike and Grog. He'd stuck with their self-defense lessons off and on for the year before he disappeared, but his heart hadn't been into it.

When they had finished warming up, they all grabbed a sip of water, and Pike took a towel to her sweaty forehead.

"Now." Grog said. "Pike or me first?" Scanlan glanced between the two of them, wiping some sweat off of his face with the back of his hand, and Grog grinned. "Trick question. Me."

"All right." Scanlan said, moving to the center of the room, strapping on a headguard and pulling on gloves. His stance was not the one Pike and Grog had taught him, but he assumed it effortlessly.

"Pike, be ref?" Grog asked, moving across from Scanlan and taking up his own ready stance.

"Will do."

"And don't be biased for him cuz he's your fiance." Grog said.

"You're my brother." said Pike said. "I'll be biased for you. Oh, yeah, Scanlan, you should take your ring off. Just in case."

Scanlan peeled off his gloves and slipped off his ring, dropping it into Pike's waiting palm. She waited until Scanlan and Grog had repositioned themselves in the center of the room. "Ready?" she asked, and they both nodded. "All right, first to get the other to tap out wins. 1, 2, 3, go."

Grog immediately sent a punch forward, in a way that would've worried Pike had she not known his full strength, but Scanlan proved unexpectedly fast and dodged out of the way. While Grog adjusted to his new position, Scanlan managed to land a hit on Grog's torso.

Pike's mouth fell open. In their year of sparring together, she didn't think Scanlan had ever landed a hit on Grog, at least not one Grog hadn't allowed. Grog's face showed genuine shock, too, as he stepped back, and then he smiled.

Grog stepped forward, launching an attack, using his size and power to overwhelm Scanlan's smaller frame. Scanlan circled around him, dodging most of the hits, only stumbling backwards once or twice. Several strands of hair had already escaped from his ponytail, and sweat dripped down his forehead, but his jaw was set.

"You have learned a few things." Grog muttered, backing up again.

Scanlan took advantage of the moment to rush forward, dodging under Grog's immediate reacting punch, and managed to land a nice uppercut to Grog's chest. Grog didn't stumble back, but he did blink, shocked, and in his moment of distraction, Scanlan stepped in close, placing his weight on Grog's elbow, and using his momentum to try and knock Grog over.

Grog stumbled, but he easily shook Scanlan off. He turned around, and Pike did not like the look in his eyes. Grog waited for a moment for Scanlan to come in closer and try the same trick again, and then he dodged slightly out of the way, enough to give him the space for a shove to Scanlan's back. Scanlan stumbled and fell to his knees, but immediately, almost instinctively, stood back up, facing Grog. He smiled, a little.

"What the fuck are you smiling at?" asked Grog as they circled each other. He aimed another punch at Scanlan, but Scanlan ducked out of the way.

"Sorry, didn't realize I was smiling." Scanlan stepped forward quickly, punching towards Grog, and missed.

Grog aimed several more blows at Scanlan, backing him up almost to the edge of the room, but before he could knock him down, Scanlan dodged under Grog's arm, spinning around him. They were both breathing heavily now, sweat sticking their shirts to their bodies. Pike put a hand to her mouth, wondering if this maybe hadn't been such a good idea after all. Grog punched forward again, once, twice, and Scanlan dodged both with a dancer's grace, turning to the side.

"Stay fucking still." Grog growled, lashing out again. Scanlan ducked under his arm and, as Grog spun to follow him, Scanlan managed to land a blow on Grog's left side that spun him even further. Grog didn't shift his stance fast enough, and when he lifted one foot in an attempt to avoid twisting his ankle, Scanlan gave him a shove, and Grog stumbled back, landing squarely on his ass.

Pike held her breath. She knew firsthand how fast his opponent had to be to actually get him pinned before he was on his feet again. Scanlan moved quickly towards Grog as Grog rose, trying to use his weight to push Grog back down, but he was not heavy enough, and Grog shoved him back powerfully as he reached his feet. From there, it was child's play- Scanlan stumbled backwards, losing his footing in the surprise of Grog's recovery, and Grog easily pinned him down with a basic hold. Scanlan only struggled for a few seconds before tapping out.

Grog rolled off of him immediately, slid off his glove, and offered him a hand to help him up without meeting his eyes. After Scanlan regained his footing, Grog let go, crossing to the corner to pick up his water bottle and towel. He raised the water bottle to his lips.

Scanlan took his engagement ring from Pike and slipped it back on his finger. By the time he'd followed Grog over to the corner, Grog had emptied his water bottle, and slipped out.

After he left, the only noise was Scanlan's panting as he drained his water bottle. Pike crossed her arms.

"You have gotten better." she said. "Faster."

"Thanks." Scanlan said, lowering his water bottle and wiping his mouth. He looked like he'd walked through a sprinkler, his hair drenched, shirt sticking to him, face and neck shining with sweat. "Kaylie taught me some." He picked up a towel and wiped his face and mouth, laughing. "I'm old, Pike."

Grog walked back in before Pike could respond, full water bottle in his hands. He stopped at the entrance, looking at the two of them. "Why did you leave?" he asked.

Scanlan turned, surprised. "For my daughter." he said after a moment.

"You could've told us what was going on." Grog said. "We would've helped you. I would've helped you."

"I know." said Scanlan. "I didn't want to involve you guys in it, they are dangerous people."

"We could've handled it." Grog said.

"I know." said Scanlan again. "I'm sorry."

Grog folded his arms and stepped forward. "Why'd you tell me to leave you alone?" he said. "That we were roommates, not friends? I thought we were really good friends."

"We were." Scanlan said. "I'm sorry. I knew you wouldn't stop trying to help me if I didn't say something like that to you. I knew that you would know something was wrong, more than the rest did."

Pike had to accept that as a fair point. Even after the way she and Scanlan had left things, she'd still accepted his departure a little too readily, once they'd visited and Kaylie had answered the door. Grog hadn't bought it, even then, not until after Scanlan had returned to get the rest of his things.

Grog snorted. "I've seen you use better lines to get someone to sleep with you. I've known you longer than the rest of them, you know."

"I know." said Scanlan. "It's not a line. I shouldn't have left the way I did, but I hope you understand how important my daughter is to me."

Grog made a noise of disbelief in the back of his throat. "You've gotten better." he said after a moment. "Never could've beaten me back then. "

"My daughter has taught me a few things." Scanlan said. "Nothing like what you taught me, but I've gotten a little faster. I hope you can meet her someday."

"Maybe." Grog said, but his posture had relaxed. He moved to a sitting position on the edge of the room, on the gritty blue carpet. "How about you and Pike fight?"

"Oh, no." Scanlan said, wiping at his forehead again. "I should probably shower off soon and pick up our guests from the Slayer's Cake. Why don't you two fight and I'll ref?"

Grog stood, grinning. "What about it?"

"Ready if you are." Pike said.

* * *

After Scanlan left for the Slayer's Cake, Pike and Grog stayed for a few more rounds. Pike lost worse than usual that afternoon, lasting only a few minutes every time before she found herself pinned. After the last round, she sat up, wiping at her forehead.

"I think that's enough for the day." she said, breathing hard.

Grog stood, extending a hand to her to pull her up. After Pike was on her feet, she hurried over to her water bottle, and took a deep sip. When she lowered it, she was still breathing hard.

"Good workout." she said, offering her fist to Grog for a fist bump.

Grog obliged her, grinning. "Yeah. Great as always, buddy."

"You want to go over to the Slayer's or you got more work?"

Grog picked up his towel, wiping off the top of his bald head. "I can go." he said. "Don't have to be back for a few hours."

"Let's get showered off, then." Pike said, grabbing her gloves from the ground.

"Pike?"

Pike, at the door, turned. "Yeah?"

"Why was his guitar in our room?"

Pike blinked. Grog was gathering up his things, not looking at her. "Oh, well, he wanted to get it out of the way for the engagement party-"

"No." Grog said, slinging his bag strap around his back. "Day after he left. When we were searching the apartment for a note. His bed wasn't slept in, and his guitar was in our room. I always wondered."

"Um..." Pike didn't have an end to that sentence.

Grog looked at her, folding his arms. "And then that story you told at the engagement party, that bullshit about how you got together...I remember you two up on the roof all the time. And he was working on that new song before he left."

Pike still couldn't find any words. She opened her mouth, hoping to think of something helpful, but nothing came.

Grog shook his head. "I know you can take care of yourself. But if he's being a dick, let me know, okay?"

"I- I will." Pike said. "But it's not, we're not...we were, we did, but we're not. Anymore."

"Huh." Grog said. He turned to the mats on the floor. "Can you help me clean these up?"

* * *

 **Next up: A few much-needed conversations.**


	11. Apologies

**(early 2014)**

After her fight with Scanlan over Percy, Pike worked several twelve-hour shifts in a row and spent almost no time at Greyskull Apartments. She was a little relieved- by the time she saw Percy again, hopefully her nerves around him would have calmed down. However, the busy schedule meant she barely saw Scanlan over the next few days, and Pike didn't like letting a fight fester between friends.

She tired of his constant advances, though. Sometimes she just wanted to hang out with friends after a long day of work without those kinds of jokes. So when she came home after work one night to find Grog out on a date and Scanlan watching a trashy reality show in the living room, Pike frowned. She headed straight for the fridge, pulling out a beer and the leftover half of a sub she'd made earlier.

"How was work?" Scanlan asked absently, eyes still on the television screen.

"It was alright." Pike said. She popped open the beer, took a long sip, and unwrapped her sandwich. "I'm really tired, though. Think I'm going to go to bed early."

"Oh, no, you can't." Scanlan said, gesturing at the screen. "You've got to watch this with me. None of these people can sing, it's incredible-"

Pike sat down at the kitchen table, frowning at her sandwich. "No, I think I'm going to bed." Pike took a large bite of her sandwich, feeling Scanlan's eyes on her. She nearly choked on it, but managed to wash it down with her beer. In the background, a singer crooned a Beatles song, belting out all the high notes.

"You're not still upset about Percy, are you?" Scanlan said finally. "I'm sorry, I was just joking around, I didn't mean to go that far."

Pike let out a breath, setting down her sandwich. "Scanlan, this isn't the first time you've told me that."

Scanlan shifted on the couch. "Hey, I said I'm sorry, and I am. I wasn't in the best mood that night, work-"

Pike shook her head. "Scanlan, I like you very much as a friend, and I think you're very charming. But while we're living together, I think maybe you should stop with the jokes about you and me."

"Okay." Scanlan said, after a moment.

Pike cringed, worried she'd been too harsh. "I'm sorry, I-"

"No, no, no, you're right." Scanlan said. "I've been thinking about it, these past few days, and I think I owe you an apology."

"Scanlan."

Scanlan shook his head. "No, I haven't been very respectful to you, over the past few years, and especially after you moved in. I think...you know, you're the med student, with your life together, and you're really cool, and pretty, and I think I just sort of fell in love with the idea of you, without actually getting to know you."

Pike chuckled. "I don't have my life together. But I appreciate it."

"Honestly, I don't think I started seeing you as a person until you moved in with Grog and I." Scanlan said. "I'm sorry. I think we should just try to be friends."

"I think that's something I would really love." said Pike. "I really enjoy spending time with you, as friends."

"Right." Scanlan said. "So do you want to watch this crappy singing show with me? As friends."

Pike smiled. "Sure, I'll platonically watch it with you. But only for a little bit, I really am tired." She took her sandwich and beer and settled herself on the couch next to Scanlan as the judges scored the singer.

"Did I ever tell you I auditioned for one of these once?" Scanlan said after a moment.

"No, you didn't." Pike said. "What happened?"

Scanlan grinned. "Well, I had a few drinks beforehand, and got a little too flirty with one of the judges. They didn't like my last-minute decision to sing 'Since U Been Gone', either, because I didn't know all the lyrics. Think they included a clip of it in the bad auditions montage, though."

"You'll have to show me the clip." said Pike. As she finished her sandwich, the stress of the past several days drifted away like oil in water. She could fall asleep here. Pike propped up her feet on the coffee table, set down her beer, and leaned her head back, eyes falling closed.

Scanlan snapped his fingers in front of her face, and Pike reopened them, lifting her head. "Hey, don't fall asleep." Scanlan said. "He's going to try and sing Leona Lewis, you've got to watch it with me!"

"Oh, bite me." Pike said, closing her eyes again, and Scanlan's responding chuckle warmed her as much as the thought of no work tomorrow. As she drifted off, to the strains of an offkey version of a Leona Lewis song, she couldn't help but smile.

* * *

 **(2017)**

That afternoon, a light drizzle started as she, Scanlan, and the Trickfoots rode home from the Slayer's Cake. When they got back to her apartment, Johann produced a deck of cards, and they played a few games, Ogden requiring much assistance from JB and Johann. Pike had to hand it to him- had she not overheard his conversation with Scanlan, she would've believed him fully senile. She wondered if JB's shyness was an act, too, or merely a byproduct of being raised by Astra and Johann.

Halfway through a round of poker, Pike's phone rang. She stood, stepping over Ogden- he had given up on cards and was watching the television with a somewhat vacant expression- and grabbed her phone off of the kitchen counter. "Hello?"

"Hi." Kima said on the other end. "Are they near?"

Pike walked away from the poker game, towards the laundry machines at the end of her back hall. "Yes."

"All right." Kima said. "Here's what's going on. Our supervisors aren't too happy about the investigation, especially with an unknown quantity like Shorthalt in the mix. They want to get him and your family dealt with as quickly as possible so there's no chance of anyone going free."

"All right." Pike said, wandering further back into the hall until she leaned against her washer. "What's the deadline?"

"A month." said Kima.

Pike's stomach dropped. She took a breath, too aware of the Trickfoots in the next room, and kept her voice low. "That's...soon."

Kima's sigh rattled the receiver. "I know, but this investigation's been going on for years, and they don't want to spend any more money or manpower on it if it's going to be another dead end. A month, they said."

"What am I going to say?" Pike asked quietly.

"No need for them to know." Kima said. "Or, if you really want to keep them busy, tell them that your dream venue just opened up a spot in a month, that way you can keep them distracted with wedding events until the deadline. Six weeks, to be safe, in case we get an extension."

"All right, I will." Pike said, more loudly. "Thank you for letting me know."

"All right, thank you. And before I go, is there anything you've heard from Scanlan that could help us out here? Or your family?"

"No." Pike said quickly, she hoped not too quickly. It occurred to her, in the ensuing pause, overhearing Ogden speaking wouldn't be Scanlan's fault, and might not affect Kaylie if she told- but no, she didn't want to take that risk without asking him.

"Let me know if you do." Kima said after a moment, and she hung up.

"All right, thank you so much." Pike said into the dead space on the other end, frantically trying to think of a story. They had no venue in mind, if the Trickfoots asked. "Okay, I'll talk to him. Bye, thank you."

She waited another second before lowering the phone.

"Who was that?" Astra called.

Pike walked back into the living room, smiling. "Oh, that was a venue we were looking at." She stepped over Ogden and slipped down beside Scanlan, arm around him. "They've got some news."

"Yeah?" Scanlan's pile of chips had grown since she'd left, and he was smiling.

"Well, it's the perfect venue, the one I showed you yesterday." Pike said. "Great for our theme, good size for a small wedding. And a date opened up. We thought they were booked for the next two years."

"Oh, that's wonderful." said Astra. "When?"

Pike held Scanlan's gaze. "Six weeks." she said, and Scanlan's eyes widened. "I know it's much sooner than we expected, but it's a wonderful place."

"When can we see it?" Scanlan asked.

"They want to know when we're free this week." Pike said.

Scanlan nodded. "Well. I'm ready to be married, aren't you?"

"Of course." Pike said, leaning in to kiss him. She was alarmed at how familiar kissing him felt, but moreso, about the warm feeling in her chest afterwards, and how she half-hoped for excuses to kiss him. Worse, Scanlan hadn't initiated a kiss since their first one a few weeks ago, other than the routine kisses before Pike left for work.

"Oh, look, you two are adorable." Astra said, and Pike and Scanlan broke apart. "Be sure to take us with you when you go see this venue, will you? We did say we wanted to help out with the wedding."

"Sure." Pike said. "We can absolutely do that. Deal me back in."

"We've already started." Johann said. "You'll have to be on your future hubby's team for now."

Pike smiled at Scanlan. "I'm alright with that."

* * *

She received the text a few days later, as she, Scanlan, and the Trickfoots checked out the venue Scanlan had come up with. Pike had to admit, if she were actually getting married, the restaurant Scanlan found would have been the place to do it. The place was a bit cramped, but the atmosphere was offbeat, with records and photos on the dark wooden walls, and the chairs and tables could be pushed aside to make room for music and dancing. Pike could definitely see a small, intimate wedding here, something with live music and lots of drinks and glamorous makeup and dress for everyone, something that would make a fantastic memory.

Pike's phone buzzed as they made their way out of the restaurant.

"I think it's a really cool place." JB said. "I liked all the records on the walls."

"No Trickfoot should ever get married in a church, that's what I always say." Johann said, and Astra snorted and slapped him on the shoulder.

"Are we through with the library now?" Ogden asked loudly.

Her phone buzzed again, an insistent reminder.

"I think it's perfect." Scanlan said, slipping his hand into hers as they walked to the nearest bus stop. "What do you think, Pike?"

Pike pulled out her phone, checking the display. Vex had texted _Good time to talk?_

"Pike?"

"Oh, sorry." Pike said, slipping her phone back in her pocket. "No, I agree. I like it a lot. Thank you, Scanlan, I'm so glad you found this place. I love it, it's perfect."

Scanlan smiled. "Just like you."

Astra cooed at them, again, as the bus slowed to a stop in front of them. Part of Pike had to admire her sheer dedication to screwing with them.

While they sat on the bus, Pike typed out a response to Vex. _Busy now. Meet up later?_

Vex replied with a thumbs up emoji, adding, _Just let Scanlan know, I think Vax and I found something he'll like a lot for his groomspeople._

Pike showed the chain of texts to Scanlan.

"What is it?" JB asked, looking curiously at them.

"Oh, Vex thinks she might've found something nice for the groomsmen to wear." Pike said. She put her hand on Scanlan's thigh, rubbing a thumb comfortingly against him.

"Oh, did she send a picture?" Astra asked, scooting closer in her seat. "Show us!"

"No." Pike said, putting her phone back in her pocket. "She couldn't get a good picture. Wants to show us in person."

"Are you okay, lad?" Johann asked, eyes on Scanlan.

Scanlan blinked, meeting his eyes, and smiled. "Oh, yes, of course. Got a bit of a headache, that's all." He rubbed his forehead. "This bus isn't helping." As if to prove his point, the bus went over a hefty bump, sending them all lurching in their seats.

"Have a drink." Astra said, pulling out a small flask from her purse and offering it to Scanlan.

Scanlan's smile looked pained. "Can't." he said. "Ankle bracelet, remember?"

Astra clicked her tongue against her teeth, replacing the flask into her purse. "They better get that off of you before your wedding. How long was that supposed to be on, again?"

"Six months." said Scanlan. "Long time."

"Let's not talk about that anymore." Pike said. "We just found the perfect place for our wedding, and Vex has good fashion taste, I'm sure she and Vax found something great. How about we stay in tonight, watch a good movie, and make some popcorn?"

"I love popcorn." Ogden said loudly. "Did she say popcorn?"

"Yes, grandpa." said JB, placing a hand on his wrist.

Pike felt tapping on the seat between her and Scanlan. She looked down. Scanlan's hand rested between their thighs, underneath her wrist, his fingers drumming against the seat.

His fingers brushed against her thigh slightly, and he noticed her looking. "Sorry." he whispered, moving his hand away.

Pike lifted her hand from his thigh and took his hand. A moment later, she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. When he rested his head on her head, she smiled down at their hands clasped between them, and rubbed her thumb against his knuckles.

* * *

That night, they worked on setting up another lunch meeting with Vox Machina, this time at Grog's apartment for a little more privacy. Once they'd agreed on a day, Pike and Scanlan set their phones on the nightstands. Pike shifted on her side, getting comfortable, but Scanlan stayed on his back, looking up at the ceiling. His fingers were drumming again, on his chest.

"You okay?" Pike whispered.

Scanlan pulled out his phone again, typing. Instead of sending a text, though, he showed her his phone screen, where he'd written a text draft of _Worried. Don't want them to overhear._

Pike nodded, taking the phone from him. She backspaced his message and typed her own. _They won't kill her, then they couldn't stop you from going to the police. They need her as a bargaining chip._

Scanlan took his phone back, fingers barely brushing against hers. He read her message, deleted it, and typed a response. _Still worried. There's other things they can do to her. And they've had her for more than three weeks now, unless she's managed to escape. And if she tries to escape, they probably will kill her._

She had no response, except for, _We'll get her back. Vax and Vex are super sneaky, Percy and Keyleth are really smart, and Grog can take care of anyone._

 _I hope so_ , Scanlan responded.

Pike squeezed his shoulder as he replaced his phone on his nightstand. After a moment, Scanlan laid a hand over top of hers, squeezing briefly back before pulling away. Pike turned out the lamp, sending the room into darkness.

She could barely hear his fingers, still drumming against his chest. Pike rolled onto her back as well, thinking, about his fingers drumming against the bus seat, his fingers barely brushing against hers as they passed the phone back and forth, his fingers resting briefly over her hand before he pulled away, as if frightened.

"Scanlan?" Pike whispered.

"Yeah?"

"You know it's okay to touch me, right?"

Scanlan didn't respond. Pike wished she could see his expression. "Scanlan?"

"What do you mean?"

Pike rolled onto her side, facing his dark silhouette. "No bullshit." she whispered.

"I don't want to take advantage." Scanlan said after a moment. "I was kind of a dick to you, back in the day."

"You're not taking advantage." Pike whispered, shifting closer. "I would let you know if you were."

Scanlan breath fluttered against her lips. "I'm sorry." he said. "I don't think I ever actually apologized for hitting on you all the time. I'm sure that was very annoying."

"It was more funny than anything." Pike bit her lip. "I didn't mind, most of the time."

"Good." Scanlan whispered. "I'm glad. I'll, um, I'll try to be more-"

Pike grabbed his shoulder and pulled him towards her. In the darkness, she missed, pressing her lips against his cheek and a bit of his nose, but he put a hand around the back of her neck and found her lips with his own. This kiss was not the polite, almost chaste ones they'd been exchanging in front of her family. This kiss was fire, fire in her cheeks, in her chest, and her fingers in his hair. This kiss was hunger, frantic, almost overwhelming, and lips tingling and mind swimming and legs tangling and gasping for air. With every touch, Pike wanted more, and more, and more, until it became too overwhelming, too familiar, and she pulled away.

Pike rolled onto her back, panting. For a long moment, neither spoke.

"Well." Scanlan said, in the tone one might use to discuss the weather. "I think you made your point."

Pike's giggle was unexpectedly loud. She clapped a hand over her mouth until the giddy feeling in her chest went away. "See?" she whispered after a moment. "Now it'll be more natural tomorrow, cuz we've practiced."

"Practice." Scanlan repeated. "Just like sparring at the gym."

"Just like that." Pike whispered. "Only I wouldn't want Grog involved in this."

Scanlan snorted. "You're gross."

"You're still marrying me, though." Pike said, stretching her arms over her head.

"That I am." Scanlan said. "Good night, Pike."

"Night, Scanlan."

* * *

 **Next up: Kaylie recognizes Scanlan, and Scanlan recognizes Kaylie.**


	12. Kaylie

**(late 2014)**

Pike woke up the next morning when her phone alarm rang. She groped her arm around on the floor beside the cot, silencing it. Something pleasantly warm lay on top of her, and it took her a moment to remember why.

"Scanlan, I gotta get up." she muttered, nudging him. He made a low noise under his breath and shifted, nearly jabbing his shoulder in her face. "Scanlan." She pushed him harder.

"Yes, sweetheart." Scanlan murmured, rolling off of her.

Pike sat up, amused. "Sweetheart?"

Scanlan's eyes slowly opened, and he looked up at her. Pike raised her eyebrows as realization dawned on his face. He groaned, placing a hand on his forehead. "Sorry, I thought you were..."

"Clearly." Pike said, smiling. "Gotta leave, honey, so I'm not late to work." She stood, pulling the sheets back over him.

Scanlan rolled back over, face against the pillow. "Have a good day, pumpkin."

Pike was still smiling as she left the apartment for work.

* * *

Her good mood helped power her through the long shift, making the mountains of paperwork much easier. It didn't hurt that the hospital had an unusually calm day. Most of her patients were kids with broken bones, and Pike didn't think she saw a single corpse.

As she sat on the subway, Pike pulled out her phone, whistling a Sarenrae song under her breath. The group text had been active while she worked, and she swiped open her phone and scrolled through. Apparently Scanlan had some sort of rehearsal for Halloweenfest tonight, and they'd all headed there to support him. Pike texted _On my way_ , stopped in at the apartment to drop off her things and change, and headed out.

The sky was getting dark, and streetlights and headlights flickered on, all over the city. There had been another rain shower, and silvery pools of water rested in the streets and along the gutters, reflecting the twinkling lights and glowing windows of the city. Pike dodged her way around passersby, and made her way to the auditorium reserved for Halloweenfest rehearsal. Once inside the lobby, however, she found the rest of her friends and family, standing in a crowd.

"Pike!" called Johann.

"What's going on?" Pike asked as she joined them.

Vax frowned. "The fuckers wouldn't let us in. Something about it being closed to the public."

"Even though we know him." Grog said, crossing his arms. "I wanna hear his set."

"Maybe they'll listen to you, Pike, just tell them you two-" Astra began.

"I think it's fine, he's about to be finished anyways." Vex cut across her. "We went for a walk for a bit to pass the time."

"Sounds like fun." said Pike, looping her arm through Vex's. If she strained, she could hear faint music coming from the auditorium door.

After a few minutes of conversation, the door opened, and Scanlan emerged, walking with a couple of professional-looking stage hands and loaded down with equipment. He blinked at them. "You're all still here."

"Of course we are." Vax said. "Still want to go out after?"

"Might need some help getting my equipment home, but then, yeah." Scanlan said.

"Are you sure we have to leave?" Johann asked. "We can't see backstage?"

"Are you Scanlan Shorthalt?"

The entire group turned. A petite woman stood in front of them, staring at Scanlan. She looked young, barely twenty if that, but she had short hair cut at an angle and an edge to her jaw that somehow made her look older. A violin case hung off one shoulder.

Scanlan grinned, walking to the front of the crowd. "That is me. And to whom do I owe the pleasure?" He held out his hand, and Vex rolled her eyes at Pike.

"I- I'm Kaylie." Kaylie said, taking his hand gingerly. "I'm performing at Halloweenfest this week, at three o'clock, I'm here for rehearsal- I listen to your music all the time, I had no idea you were performing!"

"Eight thirty." Scanlan said. "You play violin?"

"Among other things."

Vex cleared her throat, and Scanlan stepped back. "Oh, these are some of my friends. You'll never remember all of their names, but they're all good people."

"Nice to meet you all." said Kaylie. "Uh, could I- could I ask a favor?"

"Of course."

Kaylie fidgeted, eyes wide, rubbing the back of her neck. "Well, I'm sort of new to the music scene here, it's a miracle they're letting me perform, honestly, and I keep getting left out of the loop on stuff, I don't think they have my correct phone number. Could I get yours? Just in case I have any questions, or in case they send out an announcement and I don't get it."

Grog chuckled. Pike elbowed him.

"Why, of course." said Scanlan. "Anyone have paper and pen?" Keyleth procured the materials, and Scanlan wrote down his number, handing it to her. Kaylie looked surprised but grateful as she thanked him, and stared down at the number in her hands.

As they walked away, Keyleth hissed, "Scanlan!"

"What?" Scanlan asked. "She asked for my number, not the other way around."

"She looked young enough to be your daughter." said Percy.

"Yeah, Scanman, is that what you've been reduced to now?" Vax asked. "Hitting on college girls?"

While they all ribbed Scanlan, Vex caught Pike's eyes. Pike looked away before Vex could say anything. So what if they'd had a comfortable night in the cot, so what if she was a bit jealous? This is who Scanlan always was. There was a reason she'd never acted on her attraction to him.

Still, her good mood drained away as they headed to a side door to pick up Scanlan's equipment and place it in Vex's old truck. And when she and Scanlan carried his amp together into the truck, they didn't say a word to each other.

At least she could go back to using the sleeping bag tonight.

* * *

Of course, Pike's luck failed her. They unloaded Scanlan's stuff at the apartment, before heading out to another restaurant. Pike worried for her wallet with all these outings with the Trickfoots, and she sensed her friends agreed, as most of them ordered conservatively that night. Thus, when they reached home after dinner, they all stumbled in almost completely sober, which made it easier for Pike to notice the obvious absence in the room.

"Where's the other sleeping bag?" she asked, as Astra and Johann made their way to Grog's room and JB helped Ogden to Scanlan's.

Grog and Scanlan looked at her. "It's outside, isn't it?" Grog asked. "On the railing?"

Pike hurried to the window, looking out. The sleeping bag was nowhere to be found. "It's not there. Did one of you move it?"

Grog and Scanlan exchanged glances. "Maybe Vex took it back?" Scanlan asked.

"Or maybe it fell off." Grog said.

A ten minute search, however, yielded no results. Pike could only conclude either it had been stolen, or it had fallen and someone had thrown it away. After failing to find the sleeping bag on, around, or anywhere near the fire escape, as well as anywhere in Vex's apartment or their own, Pike finally conceded defeat.

"Maybe it's on the ground outside?" JB asked, sitting up in her own sleeping bag.

"No, we already checked there." Pike said with a sigh. She glanced over at Scanlan and Grog. "It must've been stolen. Looks like we're sharing the cot for a bit longer."

"I've got a suggestion." Scanlan said. "Let's braid up our hair tonight, make it a little more comfortable."

Pike had to smile. "That's not a bad idea. Plus we'll have awesome waves in the morning."

"Well, while you two do that, I'm going to bed." Grog grunted.

When Scanlan emerged from his shower and approached the bed, there was still a moment of uncertain silence as he sat down. "Do you have an extra hair tie?"

Pike finished off her double braids, and examined his. She tutted. "That won't last the night. Here, let me."

Scanlan scooted further on the bed, back to her, and Pike picked out his loose braid and began one of her own. She worked quickly and efficiently, wrapping the sections of hair around each other tightly. Scanlan's hair was not as long as Vax's, but it was much thicker. She was about halfway through when Scanlan tilted his head, leaning forward. He hissed in pain.

"Careful." said Pike. "I don't want to mess it up."

"Sorry." Scanlan said. "Was just checking my phone."

Pike nearly fumbled the braid. "Waiting for a text?"

"Don't you start in on me, too." Scanlan said, a laugh in his voice. "Don't worry, Pikeypants, you're still the only one for me."

Pike didn't respond for a moment. "I suppose we are sleeping together."

Scanlan actually flinched at that, turning his head so quickly Pike nearly let go of the braid. "Turn back around." she said, chuckling. "I'm not done yet."

"Fuck, Pike, don't do that to me."

Pike finished off the last of his braid and wrapped his hair tie around it. She sat back, satisfied. "All done." As Scanlan turned, she stood, crossing to switch off the lights.

"Thank fuck." muttered Grog on the couch.

"Sorry, Grog. Good night, Grog. Good night, JB!"

"Good night." JB said.

Pike didn't hesitate climbing into the cot this time, figuring she may as well get used to it, since they were stuck there together for the immediate future. Scanlan immediately moved over to give her room, although, like last night, they had to tangle their arms to get comfortable. Pike rested her chin on Scanlan's shoulder. Something relaxed her about the rhythm of his breath, the way his chest rose and fell, and she became fixated on the movement, on the thin purple fabric beneath her arm, and the texture of his chest underneath.

"You're still thinking about it, aren't you?" she whispered.

Scanlan jerked in surprise, and Pike giggled.

"You're going to kill me." he whispered back, but his voice was fond.

"No, I like you too much."

His hand found one of her braids and tugged at it. "I like you, too."

* * *

 **(2017)**

Grog's apartment was the second-closest to Pike's workplace after her own apartment, but still, she spent the money on a taxi, and ended up eating most of her lunch on the ride over. She smiled as she got out of the cab. She and Grog had lived here together for almost two years before she'd finished her residency, and they had a lot of fond memories here.

As expected, she arrived last. "Pike!" said Keyleth, and the rest rose to greet her.

"Hey." Pike said, hugging the twins and taking a seat beside Scanlan. "Did I miss anything?"

"Not much." Vax said. "Freddie and my sister just got here."

"We had a long line at the Slayer's." Vex put her arm around Percy. "Percy was kind enough to help me out."

"And now I know why I prefer working with computers." Percy said.

"Oh, stop, you're charming." Vex said. "I think that one old lady with the giant purse is in love with you now." She glanced over at Scanlan. "Sorry. More important business. We found her."

Scanlan let out a breath, leaning back into the couch. "You did?"

"Yes." Vex said. "Or at least, we think so. Vax and I did some asking around, and Percy did a few not-quite-legal computer things with Tary once we'd narrowed down a location. There's a gas station across the street with some cameras, we managed to get some fuzzy pictures from around the dates you gave us."

Percy pulled out his phone, tapped a few buttons, and handed it to Scanlan. "Here you are. There's a few pictures, so scroll through to be sure."

Pike leaned over Scanlan's shoulder as he took the phone. Vex wasn't exaggerating when she said the pictures were fuzzy. It took Pike a moment to tell what they were supposed to be looking at- the gas station and the road took up most of the image. In the left corner, though, in between a gas stand and a parked car, she could make out the door to a building, and three figures partially in front of it. Two of the figures held the elbows of a third, half-slumped in their arms, heavily supported by them. The third figure was slight, with short dark hair. Pike couldn't tell any distinguishing details from the photo, but she heard Scanlan take in a small breath beside her, and he flipped through the photos. The trio progressed up the stairs, the middle figure falling onto their knees at one point. As they picked her up, her face half-turned towards the camera.

Scanlan zoomed in on the blurry profile, and scrolled down to her back. "It's her." he said. "She was wearing that shirt when she disappeared. That's her." Scanlan's eyes didn't leave the phone screen, even as he handed it back to Percy.

"So where is she?" asked Grog. "Why's she hiding out in a gas station?"

"It's our understanding that the building is one of the major hubs of their counterfeit rings." Vax said. "I'm sure your police friends might know something about it."

Scanlan shook his head. "No, I've been there. Only once or twice. It's not heavily guarded." He shifted in his seat. "I can't go back, not with the tracker. The police will know what I'm doing. But none of you have to do this."

"We're doing it." Vex said.

Vax nodded. "Of course we are. Or at least, Vex and I are. Whatever happened back then- do you think if Tibs needed us, we wouldn't do the same for him?"

"I'm in." said Keyleth. "The Trickfoots really should've been arrested three years ago. Sorry, Pike."

"No, I agree." Pike said. "And you know I'm going to help."

Grog shrugged. "If Pike's helping, I'm helping."

And that left Percy. He sighed. "Well, I've already broken the law for this once, so of course I'm helping out. But although it's great that we're all in, I think we need to come up with some sort of plan before we get too excited."

As they talked logistics and addresses, Pike glanced over at Scanlan. His expression hadn't changed, but he wiped one trembling hand under his nose.

Pike took his other hand, and he met her eyes and smiled. Pike flushed, remembering what had happened the night before, but she smiled back.

She didn't regret it, the kiss. She wasn't sure where it left things between them now- they hadn't exactly had a chance to talk all day- but she hadn't regretted anything last night and she didn't regret anything now.

Pike didn't know what that meant exactly, but she liked having that much settled.

* * *

 **Next up: Roommates always have each other's backs.**


	13. Roommates, part 2

**(mid 2014)**

Percy was in love with Vex.

Pike felt like an idiot. She should've seen it coming, since Vex asked Percy to dogsit Trinket while she and Vax went home for their father's birthday, since Vex came back angry and devastated and Percy was the only one (besides Trinket) able to make her smile, since their banter during group interactions had become decidedly flirtatious, since they'd started sitting next to each other at any opportunity and Vex made excuses to kiss his cheek. Percy still evaded questions about his past, but Vex coaxed details out of him no one else could. Percy smiled and laughed much more when Vex was around, came much further out of his shell, and Pike often caught them talking quietly together on the fire escape, or coming back from walks together later at night.

She didn't know if they were in any way 'together' yet. She didn't even know if they were aware the other reciprocated. All she knew was, earlier that night, she'd come home late from work, and found them by Vex's door, talking in low tones and standing with their faces intimately close. And when Vex had spotted her, she'd backed several feet away from Percy, like she'd been caught doing something wrong.

"Pike!" Vex said, voice too bright. "How was work?"

"It was fine." Pike said, hastily unlocking her door. "Good night, Vex, Percy."

Now she sat on the roof, knees drawn up to her chin, staring listlessly at the building across from her and wishing the bitterness away. They made a good pair, Vex and Percy. Both smart, both cynical, both funny and charming when they needed to be. They obviously made each other happy; Pike hadn't seen either of them as lit up as when they talked to each other. And Percy was Percy and Vex was practically her sister, of course Pike wanted to see them happy.

She just hadn't intended for things to get this far. She'd been drawn in too easily by Percy's mystery, and his unconventional charisma, and the pain evident whenever he was tired, or whenever he carefully avoided questions about family. He was much kinder than he thought, and about as smart as he knew, and a bit too attractive for his own good, and generally the kind of person Pike wanted to spend a lot more time with. She wanted to unpick his tight knots, all the trouble in his eyes. And, childishly, she wanted him to be as fascinated with her as she was with him, wanted the intense focus he put on his laptop turned on her.

Pike wiped her nose on her hand. She would be happy for them whenever they told the group, of course. She just needed a night.

The fire escape rattled, and, after a moment, Scanlan's head popped up over the lip of the roof. "Hey." he said. "Thought I heard you come up here."

"Hi." Pike said.

Scanlan climbed over the lip and crossed to the lawn chair beside her. "You're having no bullshit night without me?"

Pike smiled. "Just needed some air."

"Mmm."

They sat for a while, enjoying the night breeze. There had been a rainstorm earlier, and the roof was still damp, the air still full of the scent of rain. The colorful edge of a sunset peeked out beyond a mass of dark clouds, high above the Emon skyline.

"How are you?" Pike asked.

Scanlan shrugged. "Actually, I'm great. Haven't told you guys yet, but I might perform mainstage in Halloweenfest."

"Mainstage?" Pike said, sitting up in her chair. Halloweenfest was one of Emon's biggest musical events. They closed down a large section of downtown for the festivities, and the streets and surrounding buildings overflowed with street performers, food trucks, theatre performances, and the main event, a big concert set up in the center of town. The performers ranged from family-friendly performances until seven-thirty, and then the best of local musicians until eleven, when the headliner would come out. This year, the headliner was rumored to be the Raven Queens, one of Vax's favorite bands. "Scanlan, that's amazing! There'll be thousands of people there!"

"If I get it." Scanlan said. "Still just talking with the organizers right now."

"You should be very happy." Pike said, settling back in her chair.

"Oh, I am." Scanlan said. Pike jabbed him, and he grinned. "You asked. No bullshit."

"No bullshit." Pike said with a sigh. "You know what they say about pride, though?"

"It's really, really great?"

Pike shook her head at him, smiling, and they settled back into a comfortable silence.

"So how are you?" Scanlan asked. "I get the feeling you're not up here for my wonderful presence."

"Oh, of course I am." Pike said.

"Pike."

"Fine." Pike leaned back in her seat, letting her head loll onto the metal pole behind her. "Percy and Vex are gonna get together."

Scanlan nodded. "Probably."

"I'm happy for them, honestly."

"No bullshit." Scanlan said.

"No, I am. I love Vex and, well..." Pike wiggled her toes on the seat of the lawn chair. "I just...wish it were me, a little."

"You know," Scanlan said after a moment, "in difficult times like these, I've always found music to be a comfort. And I know just the song for this instance, a true classic, something very beautiful, very melancholy, almost heartrending."

"What is it?" Pike asked, raising an eyebrow.

"If you change your mind..." Scanlan sang. "I'm the first in line..."

Pike giggled. "Stop."

"Honey, I'm still free." Scanlan was hamming it up, adding unnecessary riffs to every other word. "Take a chance on me."

"Stop or I'll throw something!"

"If you need me, let me know, gonna be around, if you've got no place to go when you're feeling down!"

Pike grabbed an empty beer can off the ground and tossed it at him. It bounced off his head.

Scanlan rubbed at the spot. "Ow, hey, I was just trying to help!"

"Well, ABBA is not the way." Pike said, returning to her seat.

Scanlan scoffed. "Don't be a snob. It helped a little, didn't it?"

Pike considered it. After a moment, softly, she began, "If you're all alone, when the pretty birds have flown-"

"Honey, I'm still free, take a chance on me!" Scanlan joined in.

They sang through the whole song together, at the top of their lungs, and Pike was sure they were driving the neighbors crazy. Still, afterwards, after she'd finished laughing, and after they'd corrected themselves on the lyrics a dozen times, Pike had to admit she felt better.

More than better. Her throat was sore, her cheeks hurt, and she was beyond exhausted. But the sting of seeing Vex and Percy together had diminished, and she was...happy. Light. Peaceful. She wasn't sure of the word.

"Thank you, Scanlan." she said. "You're a good friend."

"Happy to be one." Scanlan said. "No bullshit."

Pike reached over a hand to him, and he squeezed it. "I'm going to have that song stuck in my head for a week." she said.

Scanlan grinned. "Ohhhh yeah."

* * *

 **(2017)**

"You have her picture." Scanlan said quietly. He'd followed her into the bathroom under the pretense of zipping her up for her night out with Grog.

"Yes." Pike shifted her legs, fidgeting as she pinned her hair into a tight bun. Wearing rolled-up pants under the dress chafed as much as she'd expected.

Scanlan slowly zipped up the dress, hands gentle on her back. "And you remember what to say to her."

"The Meat Man sends his regards." Pike whispered, putting the last pin in her hair.

Scanlan nodded, finishing his work, and Pike turned around. "It'll be fine. We'll find her."

Scanlan nodded, eyes not leaving Pike's face. "Thank you." he mouthed.

Pike hugged him tightly, and, after a moment, he returned the favor.

"What are you two doing in there?" Johann called. "Don't get too distracted, you've got to meet Grog in ten minutes, haven't you?"

"Dog?" came Ogden's quavery voice.

"Grog, grandpa." said JB. "Pike's friend."

Pike extracted herself from Scanlan and pasted a smile on her face. She grabbed her dark sweatshirt from the nightstand- an oddity with this dress, but she hoped the Trickfoots wouldn't care- and reentered the living room.

"How do I look?"

"Oh, beautiful." Astra said. "She's got her mother's looks, hasn't she?"

"That she has." Johann said.

Pike crossed to the kitchen counter, picking up her purse. "I might be back late, I might crash at Grog's tonight. I'm sure Scanlan can keep you occupied, he knows this place well."

"I live to entertain." Scanlan said with a smile. If Pike didn't know him better, she'd have no idea how nervous he was. "Maybe I can bring out the guitar."

"Oh, can you?" JB asked excitedly. "I remember your stuff from Halloweenfest, that was a lot of fun!"

"It really was." Astra said. "I don't know why you ever gave up music."

Scanlan's shoulders tensed, although he kept a smile on his face, and Pike gave him a hug and a kiss before heading for the door.

"Bye, sweetheart." Scanlan called.

"Bye, honey." Pike responded absentmindedly. "Bye all, I'll be back tomorrow at the latest." She crossed to Scanlan, pressed another kiss to his lips, and left.

Once she had walked out of sight of the building, Pike threw her sweatshirt on over the dress, and reached behind the dress to unzip it, letting it pool around her ankles. She picked the dress off the ground and unrolled the legs of her black pants as the headlights of Keyleth's van rounded the corner to her.

Vax leaned out the window of the passenger side, and wolf-whistled. "Nice stealth clothes, Pickle."

"Thanks." Pike said, opening up the side door. She climbed into the way back of the van, next to Vex. "I told them Grog and I were going drinking tonight, and I might not be back til tomorrow."

Grog twisted around in his seat as Keyleth pulled away from the curb. "When are we gonna do that for real?"

"We will, Grog, after we take care of this." Pike promised.

Their conversation was interrupted when a Raven Queens song came on the radio and Vax and Keyleth began a loud debate in the front seat. For all the things they shared, including four years together, they had wildly different taste in music.

Grog turned around to face them. "Can't we just listen to some metal instead? They might be playing Kord!"

"No!" Vax and Keyleth immediately chorused.

"Just let me choose, it'll stop the fighting." Percy said.

Vax twisted around in his seat. "Last time we fell for that, you put on country music."

Percy grinned. "We were united in our dislike, were we not?"

Vex nudged Pike. "How is he?"

Pike shrugged. "Worried, of course. I told him a thousand times things were gonna go fine."

"I hope so." said Vex. They knew they wouldn't be able to get Kaylie out in one trip, so their plan was to learn the layout of the building while sneaking a cellphone to Kaylie so they could communicate. They had divided into three teams- Vax was going to smuggle the cell phone to Kaylie, Vex and Percy were going to look for any computer systems to gather more evidence, and Pike and Grog were going to serve as a distraction, pretending to be thieves after whatever valuables was in the house. The hope was that Pike and Grog or even Vex and Percy would be caught before Vax, so that the mission's true purpose would remain a secret.

Keyleth, meanwhile, was staying in her ancient van, keeping it ready to go for the moment they needed to leave. She hadn't been happy with this, but she recognized the necessity of it- if they delayed even a second in getting out, they could all be killed.

It was a step up from bar fights, for sure. But Vax and Vex had their share of violence in their pasts, and Pike suspected the same about Percy, and of course, she and Grog could handle themselves. She trusted her friends, and for once, they had an inkling of a plan.

"Remember." Vax said as they drove down the street, past their target house. "Act like we belong there. Don't give anyone any reason to question you."

Percy took off his spectacles, rubbing his eyes. "God, this was a stupid idea."

"It was your idea." Keyleth said, as she pulled into a spot on the side of the street. She parallel parked the vehicle, examining their surroundings. "Not too many minivans out here, huh..."

"And we know what to say to Kaylie." Pike said.

"The Meat Man sends his regards." Vax said.

Vex wrinkled her nose. "He couldn't have chosen something less gross?"

"And we've got the phone." Vax said, holding it up- the phone was tiny, easily concealable for Kaylie, capable of texting and calling but not much else. "And we all remember what she looks like."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we're all ready." Grog said. "Let's go already."

"If they confront you, do you remember the knock?" Vax asked. "It's Clasp, it's not perfect, but it'll convince them you're not civilian." The van rattled as everyone, especially Grog, imitated the pattern of knocks Vax had shown him on the side. "Shh, shh." Vax said, waving his hands at them.

"Can we go? We should go."

"Grog's got a point." Percy said. "It'll probably look suspicious for us to keep sitting here in a running van."

Vax reached over, hugging Keyleth and pressing a kiss to her cheek. "We'll be back." he said. "I promise."

"Good, you better." said Keyleth.

Vax opened the passenger side door, and Grog followed suit with the van door. They all unloaded out onto the street quickly and purposefully. As one, they slipped their hoods over their heads, and fell into formation behind Vax, walking up the sidewalk. Pike was just thinking about how cool they probably looked when she tripped over a crack in the sidewalk, and went down onto her knees, cursing.

"Are you okay?" Vex whispered, stopping to lift her up.

Pike rubbed her knee, where she was sure a scab was forming. "Yeah, fine."

"Let's go." said Vax, and Pike hurried after them, walking more prudently this time.

Before the group approached the streetlight in front of the building, Vex and Percy split off, looking for a side entrance. Vax, meanwhile, strode confidently up the front steps, Grog and Pike behind him. Grog and Pike kept their hands in their pockets, both adopting a surly expression.

Vax had reasoned the counterfeiters would never expect it- for the real part of the break-in to walk in the front door. And when the chaos began, they would be so busy trying to figure out which part was a distraction and which was the real thing that they wouldn't be thinking about Kaylie.

Before they reached the door, it opened, and a tall man with a cigarette in his mouth and equally dark clothing squinted at them. Around his hip hung a gun.

"Got more haul for the day?" he asked. "Bree's already left, there's no one to value it for you."

"We just want to get it off our hands for the night." Vax said. "You understand, it's sensitive material."

The man eyed them. "What's with the hoods? What are you, amateurs? It's dark outside, no one can see your face, are you trying to look like thieves?"

"There are cameras at the gas station across the street." Vax's tone was icy. "Some of us try to be careful with our identities."

The man snorted, but Pike noticed him glancing at the gas station and backing inside slightly. "All right, come on in. I can get your sensitive material off of you."

As Pike walked by him, he chuckled. "Who's this, your kid sister?"

"My sister, actually." Grog rumbled, and the man raised his hands, before shutting the door.

"Didn't mean no offense." he said. "We don't usually get many of her size-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Grog picked up a heavy boot off of the ground and bashed the man in the head. The man slumped over, and Vax caught him before he could fall.

"Open that door." Vax whispered, gesturing towards what might have once been a shoe closet. The entryway was cramped, dark, and messy, and they didn't have much room to maneuver. "Quick."

Pike pulled open the door, wincing when it squeaked, and she, Vax, and Grog, dragged the man inside. For good measure, Vax pulled the shoelaces out of Grog's boot and tied the man's wrists and ankles as tightly as he could, and moved a heavy box in front of the door. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and stuffed it in the man's mouth.

"It won't hold him forever, but it'll hold him." Vax said quietly. "Go. Try to give me ten minutes." He darted up the stairs, nearly invisible in his dark clothing, in the shadowy, unlit staircase.

Pike looked at Grog, and Grog nodded. "Let's look for something valuable." Pike whispered.

They continued down the hall into the kitchen. A few more people in dark clothing sat around a table, drinking and playing cards, but none of them acknowledged the two strangers walking through their kitchen, until Pike and Grog turned to leave.

"Other way, you two." said a woman at the table. Pike turned to see her gesturing towards the door on the opposite side of the wall. "The dropoff? Other room."

"Oh, sorry." Pike said, turning and walking that way.

"Sorry." the woman repeated derisively. "What, did the Artful Dodger just recruit you?"

"You've got to pick a pocket or two, dear..." a man at the table sang, horribly off key.

"Shut up." the woman snapped. "Let me enjoy the game."

As they returned to their game, Pike and Grog crossed the kitchen, heading for the indicated door, and the pair exchanged glances. They hadn't thought this far ahead. Pike assumed there would be some sort of supervision, but maybe whoever was supposed to be on guard duty was playing cards in the kitchen.

They made their way down a narrow hallway, passed doors to what looked to be a bathroom and a closet. "We'll get that drink later tonight, yeah?" Pike asked in a whisper.

Grog nodded. "Yeah, we will."

They walked purposefully into the room. Even in the dark, Pike could tell the sheer variety of goods stored here- purses, paintings, wallets, filing cabinets full of papers, a mishmash of anything anyone could pick up off the streets or sell to someone else. Unfortunately for them, a person also sat in the room, on a chair in the corner, phone screen barely lighting up his face. He sighed as they walked in. "Name and what you're dropping off, and we'll get back to you with a price when Bree returns."

Pike and Grog both moved at once. Pike knocked the man's gun off of his belt, slapping a hand over the man's mouth, and Grog whipped the heavy boot out of his pocket again, knocking the man out. Unfortunately, there was a half-second between Pike silencing the man and Grog knocking him out, and the man managed to flail about, eventually knocking over his chair with a too-loud clatter.

Pike and Grog froze, waiting, staring at each other in the dim light of the man's phone screen.

"Tanrick?" called the woman. "Everything okay in there?"

Pike gestured wildly to Grog, miming speech. "Yeah." Grog said.

They waited, barely breathing. Pike mouthed a quick prayer that Tanrick had a deep voice. The woman laughed. "All right, fucker." she said. "Pretend you didn't fall, we all heard you."

Pike turned to face the room, but Grog said, "Yeah, I didn't fall."

Pike whirled on him, miming silence.

"Tanrick?" asked the woman. "Tanrick, what's the code?"

Grog had his hand clapped over his mouth, so Pike, as a last-ditch effort, tried the knock Vax had taught them. She heard muffled curses and chairs creaking back against the floor. Pike glanced around the room- she only saw one boarded-up window. "Hide." she hissed.

Pike, with her small stature, easily ducked down behind the filing cabinet, but Grog, quite the opposite, had nowhere to go. He pressed up against the wall next to the door as footsteps thundered towards them. Pike nearly laughed for a moment at how absurd this was, her and Grog, armed only with a big boot and a knife, up against three gangsters.

"Trying to take our loot, are you?" the woman asked. They heard a loud bang against the wall as she and her two cardgame mates walked towards them. "With your little fancy knocks, huh?" Another bang, and another, and Pike could make out her shadow- the woman was advancing on them, whacking her gun against the wall loudly. She paused before entering the room, and Pike held her breath. "Let's see how brave you Clasp trash are now." the woman growled, raising her gun.

Grog, beside the door, tugged roughly on her gun before she could open fire, pulling the woman to the ground and ripping the gun out of her hands. He stepped on the woman's back to keep her down, and pointed the gun at her head. "Back." he growled at the two men still approaching.

The men raised their guns anyways. Pike leapt over the filing cabinet, tripping and banging her knee in the process, and lashed out with her knife at one of the men's thighs. She cut deep, and the man fell to the ground, yelping. The other man turned in surprise, pointing his gun at her, but Grog used his moment of distraction to hit him in the side of the head with the butt of his gun, sending him to the ground. Pike, meanwhile, wrestled the fallen man's gun away from him, and pointed it at him, hands trembling slightly. The man raised his hands, falling quiet.

"Is there a way to lock this room?" Grog asked the woman, still under his foot.

The woman coughed up something liquid. Pike imagined she must've lost a tooth in the fall. "Keys." she said, and spat on the ground. "Fuck you. We're gonna kill you."

"Where're the keys?"

"That's for you to find out." the woman said. Footsteps creaked overhead, and she grinned.

Grog booted the woman inside the room of goods, and helped Pike drag the other two men in. Pike pulled the door closed, and searched frantically for something to block it with- until she saw the keys, forgotten on the table, glinting in the flickering electric light.

Pike darted over, grabbing the keys, and began trying them in the lock one after another as someone rumbled down the stairs. Grog shifted behind her, facing the hallway, still carrying his gun. Pike bit her lip. She didn't want this night to have any casualties.

The door locked at last, and Pike tugged at it to make sure. "Okay." she said, no longer bothering to keep her voice lowered. "Havoc."

"Havoc." Grog agreed with a grin.

"But no killing." Pike said, lifting a finger. "Unless they try to kill us first."

Footsteps thudded closer, and more counterfeiters appeared at the other side of the kitchen. "What's going on?" asked the lead man, a bearded, large-waisted man. "Where's Armida and the others? Who're you?"

"We're Clasp?" Pike tried.

"Yes they fucking are!" called Armida from the other side of the door. "Kill them!"

Pike pulled Grog back into the bathroom, as a bullet split a hole in the dropoff room door, followed by, "Fuck, Jonah, you nearly deafened me!"

"Sorry!"

Pike and Grog exchanged glances. They did not have nearly enough room this time for them both to hide on either side of the door. However, a window lay above the toilet, fogged over in some attempt at preserving privacy.

The three other counterfeiters had reached their end of the hallway, although the hall was cramped enough that only one could get to the door at a time. As soon as one tried, Grog slammed the door in his face, with enough strength to elicit a grunt of pain on the other end. He put his back to the door, holding it closed, even as it rattled with fists and angry yells.

"Should we try the window?" Pike asked in a hushed voice.

Grog shook his head. "Won't fit. And we need to give him more time."

"All right." Pike climbed down off of the toilet, and Grog gestured her back towards the door.

"Dodge when I say." he said.

"Open up or we'll start shooting through the door!" shouted a voice from the other side, followed by another thud.

"Now." Grog said.

He opened the door, and a woman came hurtling in, with too much force. Grog slammed it shut again, to another sickening crunch and groan of pain on the other side. The woman's momentum carried her much further than expected, and she tripped over the toilet, landing sprawled in a heap.

Pike jumped on her immediately, pinning her with one of the holds Grog had taught her, and kicking the woman's gun away. The woman struggled, but she couldn't manage much momentum. "How are we going to get out, then?" Pike asked, holding the woman down.

Grog grinned. "Easy." He opened the door again, and although the two on the other side didn't come hurtling in this time, they still weren't prepared for an angry Grog going on the offensive. Pike concentrated on holding the woman down as Grog roared and shoved the two men into the bathroom. Quickly, Pike stood, dodged around the men, and hurried out the door, and Grog held it closed. Pike tried the keys on it as the people inside banged on the door, but none of them clicked. The other door, the one leading to the dropoff room, rattled. Pike glanced around, panicked, and spied a length of rope lying in the corner of the kitchen.

"Keep the door shut." Pike whispered, and she hurried over, grabbing the rope. She strung it between the two door knobs, pulling taut, and tied it off tightly. The occupants of both rooms still struggled to get out, but the more they pulled, the more they kept the other room's door shut.

Grog grinned. "Yeah, monstah!"

"Let's get out of here." Pike said as the doors shook with more urgency. They hurried back down the front hallway, past the rattling front closet, and out the front door.

On the crusted sidewalk in front of the house next door, they met Vex and Percy, out of breath. Behind them, the shouting grew louder. "Where's Vax?" Vex asked immediately.

"He went upstairs." Pike said.

Grog turned immediately, headed back towards the house, and the rest of them followed. Percy reached in his jacket pockets again, determination on his face, and Vex pulled out her own gun. Pike heard footsteps inside the house, and shouts, and then-

"Oh my God, he's a fucking idiot." Vex breathed.

It took the rest of them a moment to spot Vax- he clung to the side of the uneven brick house, like a starfish clinging to the side of an aquarium wall. He shimmied his way down, as the footsteps in the house grew louder.

"There's no time." Vex hissed. "Grog, go, catch him, I'll help. Pike, make sure Keyleth's ready."

Pike glanced over her shoulder as she ran down the sidewalk towards the van, but she couldn't tell if Vax had landed safely or not. She skidded to a stop by the van, and banged on the door. Keyleth opened the automatic door immediately.

"We're ready." Pike said, hurtling inside to the back, out of breath. "The others are right behind me."

"Did you get it to her?" Keyleth asked.

"I don't know." Pike twisted around in her seat, looking behind her. Several figures ran towards them on the sidewalk. "The bad guys aren't too far behind us."

To her relief, though, the running figures were Vex and Grog, supporting Vax between them, and Percy. Percy hurried around to the passenger seat while Vex, Vax, and Grog slid into the backseat, and Vex slammed the door shut.

Keyleth's eyes were in the rearview mirror, on Vax, splayed between Grog and his sister. "What-"

'I'm alright, I'm alright." Vax said. "Go."

Keyleth peeled out of her spot, sideswiping the car in front of her in the process. "Shit." she snapped, but she kept driving, far above the speed limit. Pike looked behind them again. No cars drove behind them, but she suspected it would only be a matter of time.

"Turn here, turn here, turn here!" Vex said, and Keyleth made a sharp left turn at the intersection he pointed out, nearly colliding with another car in the process. She swore under her breath, more colorful language than Pike had ever heard her use before, as they continued driving.

"Now ease up." Vax said. Keyleth was changing lanes at a breakneck speed, struggling to get ahead. "We're just another car."

"You ease up." Keyleth barked, but she did as he asked, and the entire van let out a breath of relief.

"Turn again up here." Vex said. "So they won't know which way we've gone."

Keyleth put on her blinker, making the turn in a much safer form than last time. Pike twisted around in her seat again, checking again for any cars in pursuit.

"I think we got enough of a head start." she said. "I don't think they're behind us."

"Pike, will you look at my idiot brother's ankle while I keep an eye out?" Vex said.

Vax chuckled. "Love you too, sister."

Pike scrambled over into the middle seat, landing practically on her head, and Vex made a much more dignified journey over into the back row.

"What happened to Vax's ankle?" Keyleth said, voice still tense.

Pike crawled her way to the seat beside Vax. "Could you sit in Grog's lap?" she asked. "So you can stretch it out and I can have a look at it?" Now that they had a moment to think, she felt the throbbing in her knee from the falls she'd taken earlier, the fear from the guns pointed at her, and the moment where she'd had the gun in her own hands-

"What happened to your ankle?" Keyleth twisted around in her seat.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Percy said, grabbing for the steering wheel, and Keyleth turned back around.

"It's probably nothing. Hey, buddy." Vax shifted onto Grog's lap, and stretched out his leg across the backseat, foot ending up in Pike's lap. "I just- had a fall."

"Yeah, because you tried to be fucking Spiderman!" Vex snapped.

Pike lightly rolled back Vax's pant leg to examine his ankle, and Vax hissed in pain. She met his eyes. "Did you feel it roll when you landed on it? Or any sort of crunch or snap?"

Only now could she see the sweat beaded on Vax's forehead, the tense set of his jaw. "Something like that."

"It's broken, or sprained." Pike said. "We need to get you to a doctor."

"We can't go to a doctor!" Vex said. "They'll be looking for people checking into ERs with injuries from jumping off a building-"

"Vex, they're not the police, they can't look that far." Percy said. "We'll find someplace further away. It'll be another diversion in case anyone is following us. Good?"

"Thank God I don't work at the Slayer's full-time." said Vax. "I've got health insurance."

Grog nudged him. "Can you get off my lap, now?"

"I think he should keep it stretched out." Pike said. "And elevate it, here." She picked up her dress, still balled up on the floor of the van, and lifted his foot onto it. "And if we had some ice, or something to wrap it with-"

"We'll get to a hospital." Keyleth said, tone hard. Her knuckles tightened around the steering wheel, and no one said anything for a moment, until Vex sighed.

"Fuck, why couldn't you have just gone out the hallway, like a normal person?" she said.

"They've got guards directly outside her room." Vax said. "I'm pretty sure she's tried to escape before. I had a hell of a time getting in, I wouldn't have made it out, even with the ruckus Pickle and Grog were causing. Oh yeah, she has the phone now."

"She does?" Pike asked.

Vax nodded. "Yeah, she didn't seem to know what to make of me at first, but I don't know what else you expect from a total stranger breaking in your room to tell you about the meat man. She's got Scanlan's nose, though, and his stubbornness."

"And- how did she look?" Pike asked. "I'm sure he'll want to know..."

Vax gritted his teeth as they went over a bump in the road, gripping hard onto Grog's arm. "Um- argh- she was a little bruised, but fine. She seemed to have plenty of spirit left in her. Tried to punch me when I came in."

Vex snorted. "I like her already."

* * *

They dropped off Pike and Grog at Grog's apartment first. Pike wanted to go with Vax to the ER, but the group figured they would be less suspicious in smaller numbers. Pike kept her balled up dress under one arm and followed Grog up the stairs, limping. Her knee had mostly stopped bleeding, but it still pulsed with pain. Grog sported several new bruises, too, and a fresh cut underneath his eye.

After she entered his apartment, she immediately sprawled onto his couch. She ran her fingers through her hair- her bun had come almost all the way out, and most of it sagged on one side. Pike puled out the hair pins with a wince, and let it fall. "Grog? Do you have any first aid stuff?"

"Better." Grog called, and he emerged from his bedroom, carrying a giant bottle of whiskey.

Pike smiled, shifting into a sitting position. "Oh, that is better. But not for the cut under your eye."

Grog wiped at the scrape, and examined his fingers. "I've had worse." he said. "From much stronger people. Here." He poured her a glass of whiskey, and himself one.

"We lived." Pike said, raising her glass.

"We lived." Grog repeated, clinking his against hers. Before she raised it to her lips, he grinned. "First one to chug it wins."

Pike accepted the challenge immediately, tipping the cup back with such ferocity that it spilled, all over her face and dark sweatshirt. Grog managed to finish a second before her, though, and slammed his cup onto the table.

"Fuck!" Pike said after she'd swallowed, and she followed suit. The whiskey stung her throat, but warmed her chest immediately, and left her feeling pleasantly relaxed after the night they'd had. Pike slouched against the couch again, staring up at the ceiling.

"Grog," she said, "I did this whole thing in a bra. Just my sweatshirt, pants, and a bra. What if I'd lost my sweatshirt?"

"You're not the only one." Grog said, leaning forward in his chair. "I did this whole thing without a bra at all."

Pike snorted again, erupting into giggles, and turning on her side, and Grog joined in her laughter. When they'd both finished, there was a moment of companionable silence. The cider twisted its way through Pike, turning over in her stomach, warming her from her chest to her fingertips.

"Grog." she said again. "Scanlan and I kissed."

"Yeah." Grog said. "I saw. At your engagement party."

"No." Pike twisted again, settling herself until she lay on the couch. "Another time, and before that, too. I don't know, I think- I think- I don't know."

"He's still a dick." Grog said. "I miss having him as a roommate."

"Me too." Pike said. "Well, sort of, he is my roommate."

"Your literal roommate." Grog said, and that set Pike off into another fit of giggles. She turned onto her side, resting her head on her arms.

"I like you a lot." she said. "You know that, right?"

"You're okay." Grog said. "You looked really nice in your wedding dress when we went shopping."

"Thanks." Pike said. "That's the one I'd want to wear, if it were a real wedding. It's not fair, this wedding is so great and it's not even real."

"You don't have to marry Scanlan in real life, though." Grog said.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right." Pike eyes drifted closed. "I like you, Grog. You're my favorite Man of Honor."

She didn't hear Grog's response.

* * *

 **Next up: Astra loves to get personal.**


	14. Astra

**(late 2014)**

Halloweenfest was in two days.

Pike wasn't sure if she could survive that long.

She knew her family had good intentions, but over a week of close quarters had pushed her patience to its limits. Not to mention the Scanlan situation affecting her sleep schedule, and the intense hours she'd been pulling at her residency for the past few days. She finally had a day off, and all she wanted was to spend it at home, playing games with Grog or daydrinking with the others, but unfortunately, her family had other ideas.

They spent several hours in an art museum, one of the most well-known ones in Emon. Pike was exhausted, but still, she made her best effort to be a good tour guide, smiling and pointing out her favorite paintings. The museum was fascinating. Even Ogden seemed engrossed by all of the artwork, although he still needed the help of JB and his cane to get around.

As they exited, Pike turned to her family. "Well, that was fun. Shall we go home now?"

"Oh, why, sure." Johann said. "We could. But there is that Indian place I haven't tried yet-"

Pike smiled. "Oh, we can cook something at home. Scanlan's got a really good recipe for roast chicken _."_ She hoped Scanlan was home tonight, and that their fridge was full.

"Oh, of course he does." Astra said. "A catch, that one. You're very lucky to know him. Oh, we should take the bus, we haven't done that yet!"

"All right." Pike herded them all to the nearest bus stop, fishing in her pockets for her bus pass. "Do you all have change? It's seventy-five cents." As they searched for money in their pockets, Pike turned to Astra. Her patience especially wore thin with Astra's insinuating remarks. "Yes, I am very lucky to know Scanlan. He is a very good _friend."_ She placed emphasis on the last word, in the hopes Astra would get her point.

"Uh, Pike, I don't know if Grandpa has..." JB began. Pike fished some coins out of her purse and handed them to JB.

Astra, meanwhile, giggled. "Oh, I used to have friends like that when I was younger. Let me tell you, they don't stay friends long." She pinched Johann's arm. "Johann, do you remember when we were just friends?"

"Course I do." Johann said. He shook his head, putting his arm around Astra. "Before I got the guts to take you to dinner."

"Who's the winner?" Ogden asked.

JB leaned close to him. "Dinner, grandpa, dinner."

"Oh, yes, could we have some?"

Pike ignored him. "I really am just friends with him. We're only sharing the cot for convenience." Johann and Astra exchanged a knowing look, and Pike bit the inside of her mouth. "What makes you think that Scanlan and I are involved?"

"Well, you're always on the roof together." JB said, to Pike's surprise. "I don't know, I sort of thought you were kissing up there."

Pike reddened, but she was saved from answering by the arrival of the bus. She hoped cramming into such a public place would discourage the Trickfoots from continuing the conversation. Instead, Astra squeezed her arm as she steadied herself on one of the poles. "I don't mean to annoy you, dear, I just hate seeing you two pine after each other and not do anything about it."

Pike took a breath, struggling to keep her tone light. "I'm not pining after him. He liked me a while ago, but that's over now. We're close because we've lived together for so long, but we're just friends."

"He put an awful lot of effort into impressing your family for someone who's just friends." Astra said. "Remember how nervous you were the first time you met my family, darling?"

"Oh I do." Johann said. "Your father still scares me."

Pike shook her head. "I'm sorry, it's just not true. Even if he was- if he did still- I'm not pining for him."

"You called him honey the other morning, I heard." said JB. "And you're always flirting before bed, it keeps Grog and I up. You told him you were sleeping together."

Heat rose to Pike's cheeks. "That's- that's just a joke between us, it's not serious. It's never been."

"Then tell me, dear," Astra said, "How do you feel about that pretty girl he met at rehearsal?"

Pike bit her lip. She wished she had some way to make them understand, make them see-

"Aww, leave her alone." Johann said. "She's clearly had enough."

Immediately, Pike smiled again. "Oh no, I'm sorry, it's just- not true."

"Whatever you say, dear." Astra said, and they changed the subject, but Pike couldn't help but feel she'd lost, somehow.

* * *

When they arrive home, Scanlan's singing floated from their apartment door. Pike assumed Scanlan was rehearsing until another, female voice joined in.

"Sounds like Scanlan invited Kaylie over." Pike said. She pretended not to notice Astra and Johann exchanging knowing looks.

Pike unlocked the door and pushed it open. Scanlan and Kaylie sat on the couch, both with guitars in their laps, playing for a rapt Grog. When Pike entered, Kaylie stopped playing and singing, and Scanlan looked up, following her example.

"Hey, Trickfoots." he said. "Welcome home, how was the museum?"

"Oh, it was wonderful." Astra said. "Made me feel all cultured. But what are you three up to? It sounded wonderful from the hall."

"Oh, I've got to be going, actually." said Kaylie, rapidly packing up her guitar into her case.

"Oh, really, you can't stay?"

Kaylie didn't meet her eyes. "No, sorry, I've got to be up early tomorrow. See you later, thank you, Scanlan." She slung her guitar case over her shoulder and crossed to the door, leaving.

"Kaylie-" Scanlan called, but she had already left. "Hold on, I want to make sure she knows her way out." He followed her out the door.

After he walked out, the Trickfoots stared at Pike. "How long has she been here?" Pike asked.

Grog shrugged. "Just the evening. Said she was nervous for Friday, so she came over. She's real good, she'll do great."

"Yeah, she will." Pike said. She turned around, facing her family. "Well, let's get some dinner started. Grog, can you help me make something?"

"Sure." Grog stood, and followed her over to the kitchen.

Pike could've done without the sympathetic tuts and pats from Astra that night. She wasn't pining, she honestly wasn't. Jealousy did not mean pining, and she wasn't jealous.

* * *

 **(2017)**

When she arrived home from Grog's apartment, Pike was unsurprised to find the Trickfoots still asleep. She tiptoed in, hoping to talk to Scanlan before they awoke. JB shifted and opened her eyes, and Pike waved at her. JB waved back, and rolled over on the couch.

Quietly, Pike slipped into the bedroom. Scanlan lay in bed, over the covers, his phone lying inches from his hand. She closed the door with a click and whispered, "Scanlan."

Scanlan jerked awake immediately. He sat up in bed, pulling his knees under him. "What happened?" he whispered. "Is everything okay? Did you-"

Pike unlocked her phone and handed it to him. "Vax hurt his ankle, and we're all a little bruised but otherwise fine. Here. She wants you to send a picture."

Scanlan took her phone gingerly, as if afraid it would snap in half. Pike grabbed her pajamas from the dresser and headed to the bathroom. At the door, she turned back. "If it locks again, the code is Grog's birthday. I'm going back to bed."

Scanlan nodded, already angling her phone's camera towards his face.

Pike reemerged a moment later, and shuffled under the covers, turning away from Scanlan. She fell asleep to the quiet, rhythmic sound of Scanlan's fingers tapping on her phone, so persistent that for a moment her half-asleep mind thought it was rain.

* * *

Pike awoke to the smell of something cooking in the kitchen, and voices. Her phone rested on Scanlan's side of the bed, lit up with notifications. A few texts from Keyleth and Vax let her know he sprained his ankle but was okay, one from Grog displayed a series of disgruntled emojis, and one from an unknown number said _Okay._ _You better come back soon._

Pike smiled at the message as she dismissed it, and then padded out to the living room, running her hands through the tangled birds nest atop her head.

Astra and JB sat at the kitchen counter while Scanlan cooked something up in a frying pan. "She's back!" Astra said immediately, and Pike winced at her loud voice. "How was last night?"

"Oh, it was a lot of fun." Pike said. "Where's Johann and Ogden?"

"Johann's taking his father to a doctor's appointment."

Pike blinked, keeping her expression carefully blank. "On a Sunday?"

Astra shrugged, turning back to her plate. "Oh, it's a special weekend clinic for the elderly. So relatives don't have to leave work to take them in, you know."

Pike crossed to the stove, putting her arm around Scanlan. "Morning. Need help?"

"I've got it." Scanlan kissed her. "You're hungover. Sit."

"Thanks." Pike yawned as she sat down beside JB and Astra.

Astra stared at her. "Looks like you had a rough night."

Pike shrugged, rubbing the fresh bandage on her knee. "It was fun. I'd forgotten how much Grog can drink, though."

"Where'd you go?" Astra placed her elbow on the table, resting her chin in one hand. "Johann and I were thinking of checking out the bars here before your wedding. Maybe we could all go one night."

"Oh, just a few places downtown." Pike said. "I don't fully remember, honestly, it was a bit of a haze after the fifth drink."

"Glad you got your time to unwind." Astra said, grinning. "What time did you get back in? I didn't even hear you."

"Pretty early, wasn't it, JB?" Pike met JB's eyes.

"Yeah." JB looked down at her plate. "Pretty early."

Scanlan placed a plate of eggs in front of Pike. "With all the questions, you'd think you were her mother, not her aunt." He stopped, studying Astra. "Or maybe an older sister."

Astra giggled. "You are too much, Scanlan Shorthalt." She turned to Pike, expression shifting, and lay a hand on top of Pike's. "I hope you don't mind if I feel a bit- motherly sometimes. I know I'm just your step-aunt, but hearing Johann's stories about you as a toddler, I guess- I got a bit attached." Her voice wavered.

Pike grabbed her hand, squeezing. "Oh, you know I'm grateful for that, Astra."

"I know." Astra wiped at her eyes. "Wilhand never told you about the day he took you away, did he?"

Pike glanced at the others. JB studied her nearly-empty plate of eggs, pushing scraps around with a fork. Every time her fork scraped against the plate, it squeaked shrilly. Scanlan had returned to the stovetop, busying himself with making another batch of eggs for himself.

"No, he never told me the story." Pike said. "Um, what do you think we should do today?"

Astra took her other hand, and inhaled deeply, as if composing herself. "Oh, you can ask Johann, he told me the story. He said you cried, and cried, and cried. And Johann told Wilhand, don't you take that girl from my house, she belongs with her cousin. I- well, I'm sorry to say, but your family didn't think he knew the first thing about raising children after how your mother turned out. But here you are, just wonderful."

Pike's pulse throbbed in her temple, and she struggled to keep a smile on her face. "Oh, he did wonderfully. For me and Grog."

"Yes, but sometimes I wonder how it must've been for you, without an older woman in your life all those years." Astra said. "Surely there must've been moments when you needed some feminine advice, in that household of men."

"That's very kind of you to say." Pike said. She gently extracted her hands from Astra's and returned to her food. "Grandpa did a wonderful job."

Astra sniffled more loudly, wiping underneath her eyes. "Of course he did, of course he did, dear. I'm sorry for the emotion, it's just- you're grown up and married-"

"Engaged." Scanlan corrected. He crossed around the kitchen counter, taking a seat next to Pike. "Not married yet. But soon." He took Pike's hand, smiling at her.

"Right, of course." Astra dabbed at her eyes with her napkin. "Oh, that was embarrassing, wasn't it? Look at me, an old lady, getting sentimental."

"Oh, you're not old." Scanlan said. "If you're old, I'm old, and I know for a fact that I am young."

Astra laughed. "We'll see in a few years, dear."

As the conversation shifted to age and the upcoming nuptials, some of the tension left Pike's shoulders. She clenched her fist in her lap, taking a deep breath. Why was Astra provoking her like this? To get a reaction out of Pike, maybe, some sort of reaction that would prove Pike knew about Kaylie.

She had a feeling Vox Machina wasn't completely in the clear, yet.

* * *

 **Next up: Pike is honest, and then guarded.**


	15. Confessions, part 1

**(late 2014)**

The night before Halloweenfest, when Pike returned home from work, Scanlan greeted her at the door immediately. "Oh, good, Pike, you're home! Pike, Grog, management wants us to sign something, some bullshit about repairs, I've got it in my room..."

Pike exchanged a confused look with Grog. "What repairs?" Grog asked.

"He just announced it today." Scanlan said, taking Grog's arm. "Come on."

"I don't understand, what repairs are you talking about?" Grog said, but he followed Scanlan into the room.

Scanlan shut the door behind him. "We need to talk with them out of the apartment."

"I can text the group and get someone to take them." Pike said, pulling out her phone and typing a message. "But what-"

"Where's this thing I'm supposed to sign?"

"Shh, shh." said Scanlan. "It was a lie. I don't want them to know we were talking about them."

"Ohhh, okay." Grog nodded slowly. "I get it."

"Why don't you stay in here, Grog?" Pike said. "We'll get them out of the apartment." She checked her phone again- Percy, bless him, was free, and so was Vex. "Percy and Vex can take them. Let's go."

They returned to the living room. "Sorry about that." said Scanlan. "It looks like there might be some bullshit we have to do for the landlord." He waved a hand dismissively. "It'll probably take all evening. I don't want to bore you four, how would you feel about going out and seeing some sights with Percy and Vex?"

"Oh, of course." Astra said, simpering. It terrified Pike how well Scanlan lied sometimes.

After they left, Grog emerged from Scanlan's room. "So what's this about?" he asked.

"Um..." Scanlan ran a hand through his hair, staring at the kitchen area. "Well..."

Pike folded her arms. "What is it, Scanlan?"

"I don't think we have as much silverware as we used to." Scanlan said. "I think...they might have taken some."

"Fuckers." muttered Grog.

"Well, let's look and make sure before we say that."

"That's not all." said Scanlan, crossing to the kitchen. "I was doublechecking my equipment before the show tomorrow, and I'm missing a few things. Mostly small equipment, nothing I need, but still."

Pike put her hands on her hips, chewing her lip. "Are you sure...well..."

"Well what?" asked Scanlan.

"Did you...did you leave Kaylie alone in the house at all yesterday?"

Scanlan scoffed as he rifled through a cabinet. "You think Kaylie would've stolen silverware?"

"Well, I just think that maybe you don't know her that well." Pike said. "And my family's been here for a week and nothing's gone missing. So."

Scanlan turned. The silence between them was suddenly terrible. Grog returned to his search, loudly opening doors and rattling dishes around.

Scanlan folded his arms. "I thought you were worried about your family stealing, when they first came. That's why I wanted them out. I thought you wanted me to be on the same side with you about this."

"Of course I do." said Pike. "But I just think that maybe they aren't the most likely candidates right now."

Grog banged a cabinet shut. Neither of them flinched.

Scanlan raised his hands. "Fine, fine, it could've been Kaylie. It doesn't change anything, does it? We still need to figure out what's gone and get it back."

"All right." Pike said, following him over to the kitchen. "I agree."

Scanlan returned to his drawers. "All right."

Grog cleared his throat, conspicuously searching under the couch and around the other end of the television.

"What?" Scanlan asked after a moment.

Pike looked up at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

"You slammed..." He gestured at the drawer.

"I didn't mean to." Pike said, restraining herself from snapping the words. "It was an accident."

"All right." Scanlan said, returning to his work, but his disbelieving tone enraged Pike even further.

"I really didn't."

"All right."

"Would you stop saying that?"

Scanlan looked up at her, surprised, and Pike realized she'd snapped. "Sorry." she said, pulling open another drawer at random. "I'm not mad. Sorry."

Scanlan grunted as he moved down to the next set of drawers, and Pike wanted to punch something _._ "I just..." she began, and shook her head, but the sentence was already on its way out. "I just think, sometimes, you tend to idealize people because you're attracted to them, that's all."

"I'm going to go check the bedroom." Grog muttered after a moment, and left, nearly tripping over the couch on his way out.

Scanlan still hadn't moved. "Are you saying I'm naive?"

"No." Pike said. "But...it's like what happened with me. You've admitted it yourself, you didn't see me as a real person until I moved in."

Scanlan faced her, leaning against the counter. "Well, yes. But there's a difference between not knowing someone's not perfect and not knowing someone is a thief." He grinned. "I've been around thirty-odd years, I've slept with enough people to sense the ones who are going to steal from me."

"All right." Pike said, turning back to her drawer.

Scanlan stepped closer. "What, you don't believe me?"

Pike paused, not looking up. "Is it really out of the question?" she said. "She was very persistent about getting your number, and I'm guessing she asked to come over. Do you really think-"

"She wanted to come over because she was nervous for Friday!" Scanlan said. "I was helping her calm down, that's all that is going on."

Pike snorted. "You and I both know that's not true."

"Fine, all right, maybe I think she's attractive, but what's wrong with that?" asked Scanlan. "She seems to like me, you're not interested, why shouldn't I-"

"I'm not- that has nothing to do with this!" Pike said. "And it's not even, it's not even about...Scanlan, if she stole your sound equipment, are you going to forgive her because you want to sleep with her?"

Scanlan shook his head, stepping away and running a hand through his hair. "I don't understand why this bothers you so much."

"That she's a thief and you don't mind because you like her?" Pike said. "I'm sorry, but Grog and I care about our things in the apartment, I just think maybe we should get a say in whether or not there are thieves in the apartment."

At the mention of Grog, he emerged from his bedroom. "Not in my room." he said. Neither looked up.

"I think so, too." Scanlan said. "I think your family needs to leave."

Grog raised his eyebrows and crossed the room into Scanlan's bedroom.

Pike folded her arms, taking a step away from him. "That's not fair. You and Grog agreed to let them come if we kept an eye on them, and we have."

"And..." Scanlan gestured at the drawers they were searching.

"We don't know that." Pike said. "I understand that Kaylie is charming, but-"

"It's not her." Scanlan said. "I keep saying, she wasn't alone in the apartment for long enough-"

"Did she use the bathroom, ever?" Pike asked. "Or did you? And my family has been alone in the apartment plenty of times, and nothing has gone missing."

"All right, all right." said Scanlan, shaking his head. "I don't know why you're upset with me over this."

"I'm not." Pike said, turning back to the drawers. "I'm upset with you because you don't believe me."

"I do." Scanlan said. "I just think it's not the likely possibility."

Pike scoffed. "And that's my point."

"You trust your family just because they're your family?"

"No." Pike said. "Of course not. I just don't think it's likely."

"All right." Scanlan said. "Then we're at a stalemate."

"Looks like." Pike said, but she couldn't keep the irritation out of her voice, and the sound of it made Scanlan shake his head as he moved over to the upper cabinets. "I realize you don't believe me, but you don't have to act like it's not possible."

Scanlan stopped, leaning against the counter. "Pike, what do you want from me? I know it could be her, I'm sorry if I misjudged her, I'll pay for new silverware if we don't get it back."

"Good." Pike snapped.

"Pike-"

Pike balled her hands into fists. "I didn't want her in our apartment at all. I didn't want to come home with my family and find a stranger in here, and I didn't want to be missing anything afterwards. I just wish you had been a little more careful, or talked to Grog and I first-"

Scanlan laughed. "We've never asked permission for daytime visitors. That's never been a rule. She wasn't going to stay overnight, where would she have slept?" Pike didn't have a response. "And I've been careful. I always am. I wouldn't have invited her over if I thought-"

"But you did." Pike said. "And she did. I just think Grog and I-"

"Why do you care so much about my visitors?" Scanlan said. "First it was your family, and that girl I forgot to warn you about from months ago again, and now Kaylie-"

"I don't care." Pike said. "I care what kind of visitors we have here."

"You never got upset with Grog, not even when he brought home that girl from the pyramid scheme." Scanlan said. "I mean, this isn't even the first time we've had thieves over. And it's not that bad, nothing that we can't replace-"

"You're right." said Pike. "No point in continuing the search, then. Might as well go get ready for bed. Grog, we're calling the search off, it doesn't matter." She stalked away from the sink.

"Pike." Scanlan said, following her.

Pike paused at the door to the bathroom, taking a deep breath, feeling the anger rolling around inside her gut. She turned around, hand still on the handle. "I'm jealous." she said. "Of you and Kaylie."

Scanlan's expression shifted in an instant, his brow wrinkling, his eyes widened, his mouth falling open. "What?"

"I don't have feelings for you," Pike said firmly, "but I'm jealous."

"Pike-"

Grog emerged from Scanlan's bedroom. "Not in here either! Couldn't find it!"

Scanlan turned to look at him, and Pike used the distraction to make her escape, nearly diving into the bathroom. Once she had shut the door, she rested her weight on the bathroom counter, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

"Pike Trickfoot, you fucked up." she whispered, and then realized she'd have to go back out for her pajamas.

* * *

They didn't find the silverware or Scanlan's equipment for the rest of the evening, and after an hour, Percy and Vex dropped the Trickfoots back off. Pike was relieved- she was actively avoiding being alone with Scanlan, but Grog had clearly overheard, and the three of them couldn't carry any sort of conversation for longer than a few seconds. Pike felt even worse once they rechecked and found the silverware and the sound equipment, tucked neatly into Astra and Johann's suitcases.

Pike folded her arms. "Sorry." she said, not looking at Scanlan. "They're gone after tomorrow."

"Tomorrow night." said Grog. "They can bring their things to Halloweenfest."

Pike nodded. "Okay."

Grog excused himself rather quickly to bed after the Trickfoots returned, and once they were all settled came the moment Pike had been dreading- when Scanlan joined her on the cot.

They settled in their usual positions. Pike could feel him wanting to say something. She hoped he wouldn't.

"Pike." he began.

"Can we put this conversation on hold until we're not sharing a bed?"

Scanlan didn't respond for a long moment. "All right."

Pike closed her eyes, struggling to calm her mind, but it took her a long time to fall asleep.

* * *

 **(2017)**

"Johann and I were wondering," Astra said, taking another bite of the cake sample, "when you and Scanlan were going to file your marriage paperwork."

Scanlan and Pike traded glances. They absolutely intended to skip that step of the process. It had been three days since the break-in, and the tension in the apartment had only increased. Johann especially had been in a foul mood the first day, before joining Astra in their new favorite hobby- picking at Pike and Scanlan.

They were subtle about it, of course. Astra hadn't made any more comments about Wilhand, but she had pulled Pike aside and asked her in a low tone if she and Scanlan were fighting, as they were 'the least affectionate couple she'd ever seen'. Pike had little choice afterwards but to step up the affection. Privately, Scanlan and Pike agreed they were trying to provoke the two of them into breaking, into giving up the ruse and either revealing the relationship was fake or that Pike knew exactly what was going on with Scanlan and had been responsible for the break-in.

It didn't make the little jabs any easier to handle, though.

"We were going to wait until after the wedding." Scanlan said smoothly. "We've got such a short timeline that we didn't want to deal with it now."

"Oh, but you won't want to after you get married!" Johann said. "You'll be exhausted and through with marriage stuff then, you'll want to have it already done! Besides, you're going on a honeymoon, aren't you?"

"Of course we are." Pike said. That lie, they'd agreed upon beforehand. "Once my work schedule allows it, it's a busy season so it won't be for a few months."

Astra clicked her tongue. "Oh, that's no good. You should tell them that it's your honeymoon, I'm sure they'd give you time off. And Scanlan's still got no job, so he's free whenever, isn't he?"

"I don't want to do that to them." Pike said calmly. She reached her fork over to Astra's plate in an attempt to distract her. "Oh, this one's delicious. You picked well."

Johann, undeterred, leaned forward. "Well, you need witnesses don't you? For the court paperwork?"

"I thought that was just if you're getting married at the courthouse." Scanlan said. "We've got a little more planned than that."

"Oh, no, you need witnesses." Astra said, pushing her plate towards Pike. "It depends on the worker, really, some of them are sticklers about it. But Johann and I would love to be there while you fill out the paperwork. It'd have to be before the wedding, though, we're going to try and get out of your hair afterwards. Don't want to interrupt your newlywed privacy!" She laughed.

"We might just bring Grog and one of our other friends afterwards." Scanlan said, and Pike had to stop herself from looking relieved. "We just don't want to overload ourselves with preparations. We've been very grateful for your help."

Astra and Johann exchanged glances. "Well, alright." said Johann, looking down at his plate. His tone was weary, and Pike despised him for what was about to happen.

"Sorry to impose." said Astra, setting down her fork and napkin. "I don't mean to be getting overly involved in this, of course, it's just that we love you two so much..." She trailed off, looking lost.

"You'll still see us get married." Pike said, leaning over and putting her hand on Astra's. "You'll be at the real wedding, where we'll have food and music. That'll be better than just filling out paperwork."

"But that's when you're really married!" Astra said, leaning forward, tone intent. "Don't you want to get that done before your wedding? So you'll really be husband and wife then, and not afterwards."

Johann patted her on the shoulder. "It's alright, Astra, they want some fun with their other young friends."

"No, no." said Scanlan. "We're just worried about the time commitment, that's all. Maybe you could stay after the wedding for a little bit?

"No, we've got other business to attend to." said Johann with a sigh. "Well! Maybe JB will get married someday, and we'll get to see it then."

Astra snorted. "Big maybe." She shook her head. "It was so exciting when we filled out our paperwork, remember, Johann?"

"I do." said Johann with a grin.

Astra nodded. "We were younger than you two, of course. And I remember we walked in all starry-eyed, gaping around at all the fancy desks and people, and Johann walked up to the nearest counter and said-"

"I want to marry this beautiful woman." Johann said. He put his arm around Astra. "And I want to do it quick, before she meets someone better."

Astra giggled. "Well, they bounced us around between people for a bit, but when we finally got the paperwork, and put our signatures to it..." She shook her head. "No feeling like it. We didn't realize we had to have witnesses, so we just asked another couple there for the same reason, but it would've been nice to have someone special there with us."

"That sounds wonderful." Scanlan said.

"Oh, it was." Astra said. "Would make us really proud to see you go through that, Pike."

Pike's fork was biting into her palm, her grip tight. She set it down on the table, knowing there was only one non-suspicious answer. "Well, if it means that much to you, we'll do it beforehand. I'm sure we can find the time."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Astra said immediately. "Oh, thank you, child, you have no idea how much it would mean to us-"

"Yes, just like the old days." Johann squeezed Astra. "We're so proud of you two."

"Thank you." Pike said.

This was going to be a hard one to explain to Kima and Allura.

* * *

That night, they followed what had become their usual routine since Kaylie had received the phone. As Pike prepared for bed, she lent her phone to Scanlan, allowing him to text with Kaylie to his heart's content. As she brushed her teeth, her phone buzzed.

"It's the group." Scanlan called. "They want to meet up this week during lunch again, talk about the tuxedo place Vex suggested."

Pike spat her toothpaste into the sink. "Sounds good to me." She picked up her hairbrush from the sink counter and ran it through her hair, getting out all the tangles of the day. "I'm good with any day."

"I'll figure out an afternoon." Scanlan said, fingers tapping out an answer.

Pike walked into the room, still pulling the hairbrush through her hair. "Does that ever chafe you?" Scanlan looked up, face blank, and Pike indicated the tracker around his ankle. "You've been wearing it for, what, over a month?"

Scanlan jiggled his ankle, shaking the tracker. "A little. It's not bad, though."

"I've got some lotion in here if you need it." Pike said, returning to the bathroom.

After she'd changed, flossed, and finished her nighttime routine, Pike flicked off the lights in the bedroom, and climbed into bed, keeping the lamp beside her on. She picked up her laptop from the table, and loaded it up. For a few minutes, she checked her social media for the night and Scanlan texted. The only noise was typing, and the occasional vibration from Pike's phone.

"Thursday?" Scanlan said.

"Works for me." Pike said.

Scanlan nodded, and handed her back her phone. Pike set her phone and laptop on the nightstand, but after a moment, Scanlan picked his phone up. He typed something and handed it over to her.

Pike took the phone from him, and found a text message draft on the screen. _We're not really going to get legally married, are we?_

Pike looked at him and shook her head vigorously before responding. _There was nothing else I could say today. Even if we fill out the paperwork, it won't mean anything without a ceremony with an officiant._

 _Right, makes sense._ Scanlan responded. _And if they insist we get married at the courthouse?_

 _That's what annulments are for._ Pike typed. _Kima and Allura could probably help us. I'm sure with our situation, we'd qualify._

Scanlan stared at her reply for a moment. When he did type again, he backspaced several things before handing the phone back to her. _Even with post-Halloweenfest?_

Pike's cheeks flamed. Part of her had hoped Scanlan had somehow forgotten about that night. She'd never told anyone about it, not even Grog or Vex, and sometimes she convinced herself it wasn't real. _That shouldn't count. It was three years ago._

Scanlan chewed on his lip, not looking at her as he typed out his response. _We've been sleeping in the same bed for a month, you think they'll assume?_

The room warmed by about ten degrees. Pike let out a noise of irritation. _Then we can get a divorce. Or not mention post-Halloweenfest. It probably won't even happen, they can't insist we get married without seeming suspicious._

 _Right, of course._ Scanlan said, and placed his phone on the table.

Pike stared up at the ceiling. The thing about their last night was that it wasn't a last night at all. When she awoke the next morning alone in the apartment, when Scanlan hadn't returned all day, when they eventually got his texts, when they went to his new place and found him with Kaylie, her first feeling had been confusion, overwhelming confusion, because their last night was a beginning. The heartbreak, the anger, the worry, that had all come later, after she realized he wasn't coming back.

And yet here he was.

"Pike." Scanlan whispered. Pike shifted onto her side, facing away from him, but he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I didn't know. I thought I'd talked them out of it, I wasn't planning on leaving. She texted me that night and told me they needed more."

Pike bit her lip, but the words still came out. "And that last thing you said to me?" she whispered. "Was that before or after she texted?"

Scanlan didn't speak for a long moment. "After."

"Hmm."

"I just...wanted you to know."

Pike rolled onto her back, feeling tears prickle at her eyes again. She wiped at them, frustrated. "What you said was horrible."

"I know." Scanlan said. "Sorry."

"Scanlan." Pike began, and thought better of it. Scanlan, however, raised his eyebrows. Pike waved him off, but he picked up his phone, typed something, and handed over to her.

 _No bullshit_

Pike rubbed her forehead. _Did you mean it?_

Scanlan's expression was inscrutable as he read her reply. He typed out something short, and met her gaze, holding up his phone.

After a moment, she dropped her eyes to the screen.

 _Yes._

Pike met Scanlan's eyes again, throat growing tight. Scanlan, however, set his phone down on the nightstand, and shifted into a lying position. "Good night." he whispered, turning away from her.

"Good night." Pike whispered, watching him, but he didn't turn back, and eventually, she flicked off the lamp and settled herself beside him.

She nearly said something else, something stupid and reckless and probably only half-true. The words were in her throat, and Pike pressed her fingers to her mouth, turning away from him, to keep them from coming out. It wasn't true, anymore, not with all that had happened between them. Anyways, it would complicate the situation even more, and he was probably going back to jail in three weeks. It wouldn't be worth it to say anything now.

But the words waited on her tongue, stuck there like a gobstopper, and it took her a long time to swallow them back down so she could fall asleep.

* * *

 **Next up: Two debates over Vox Machina.**


	16. Family

**(mid 2014)**

"We should come up with a name for ourselves." Keyleth said. It was a lazy Sunday, and the Greyskull group spent it sprawled in Keyleth and Percy's apartment, watching a bad horror movie on cable.

"A name?" Vax asked. "Like a family name? I think I'm alright having one sister in the group."

"Hey." Vex said mildly, scratching behind Trinket's ears.

"Didn't mean it like that, Stubby. Just that I'd rather not consider Keyleth my sister."

Keyleth giggled, and Vax pressed a kiss to her cheek. "No, but really." she said. "We need to call ourselves something. We've spent all this time together, we're a group. We should come up with a name."

"I rather like that suggestion." Tiberius said. It was one of the rare days, after his move, when he found the time to return to Emon. "We can call ourselves something dignified."

Percy chuckled. "Dignified is not a word I'd use to describe us."

"Like a band name?" Scanlan said. "I could help out there, I've seen so many band names over the years."

"What's the worst one you've ever heard?" Vex asked.

Scanlan considered the question for a moment, and shrugged. "The Lame Ducks was pretty bad. It would've been cool if they were a better band, but..."

"Lame Ducks." Vax repeated. "I don't think of us as ducks, really."

"Oh, no, wait." Scanlan snapped his fingers. "Vox Machina, that was it."

Grog shifted forward on the couch. "Bless you."

"No, no, no, it's the name of the band." Scanlan said. "Vox Machina. Latin for 'voice of the machine.', or so the drummer told me ten times."

Keyleth shrugged, settling herself closer to Percy. "I kind of like it, it's unique."

Scanlan shook his head. "No, it's not. No one knows what you're talking about if you name your band after something Latin. No one could ever pronounce it right, either. They weren't memorable enough to have such a unique name."

"No, I think that's cool." Vex said. She adopted a dramatic tone. "Vox Machina, of Greyskull apartments. Makes us sound badass." Trinket barked at her, and Vex leaned over, scratching his head. "Doesn't it, Trinket, doesn't it?"

Grog nodded. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's like a metal band."

"We are not naming ourselves after them." Scanlan said, shaking his head.

"I don't know, I sort of like it." Percy said. "It's a cool name."

Tiberius nodded. "I do like the touch of Latin, it gives it some gravitas."

"Go back to school, professor." Vax said, tossing an empty beer can at him.

Tiberius pulled out his phone, checking it. "I will, in approximately three hours."

The group fell silent as the movie returned from commercial break. For the next few minutes, they discussed nothing but the movie, as they watched teenagers dying one by one in a haunted cabin.

"I think if we got stuck in a haunted house, I'd be the last to survive." Scanlan said.

"No way." Vex said. "I'd find a place to hide and a gun and smoke you all."

"I wouldn't need a place to hide." Grog rumbled.

Tiberius shook his head. "I rather think Scanlan might be the first to die."

"Hey." Scanlan said. "I might not be sneaky or fighty like the rest of you, but I can charm the monster. I'll seduce it. That'll keep me alive."

The group groaned. Pike, struck by a thought, smiled impishly. "You'll be the last living member of Vox Machina, you think?"

Scanlan sighed. "God, no, don't make it a thing."

"We should put signs on our doors." Vax said. "Let everyone know we're members of Vox Machina."

"No!" Scanlan said. "We are not naming ourselves after a shitty band! That is so cheesy!"

"Official Vox Machina group vote." Keyleth said. "Who votes we keep the name?"

Scanlan crossed his arms, leaning back into the couch. "I'm opting out of this."

The rest of the group raised their hands.

"Sorry, buddy." Vax said. "We're now a metal band."

Grog raised his fists. "Yeeees, Vox Machina!"

"Vox Machina!" everyone echoed.

Scanlan shook his head, standing. "I'm going to get another drink from our apartment. Anyone want anything?"

"Anyone in Vox Machina want a drink, you mean?" Vex asked.

"Never mind, I'm moving out." Scanlan said, walking to the door. "Pike, call me. The rest of you, you're dead to me." Trinket followed him, panting excitedly. "Especially you, Trinket."

Their laughter nearly drowned out his slam of the door.

* * *

 **(2017)**

Pike made the journey to Grog's house again on Thursday, and, once again, arrived after most of the rest of the group. She wasn't alone this time, however; she met Vax and Keyleth in the lobby. Vax leaned on his crutches, looking at the door to the staircase.

"Pike!" Keyleth said. "Please tell me there's an elevator somewhere here."

"Oh, I didn't even think about that." said Pike. "Yeah, there's one, it's really shitty and slow, but I can take you to it." She led them down the winding hallways of the administrative section of the apartments, to the one tiny elevator, tucked in a corner of a building. The elevator took several minutes to come, and when it came, it was a struggle to cram all three of them and Vax's crutches into the tiny space. Still, they managed to get up to Grog's apartment, and with some effort, walked Vax through the door.

The rest of the group were already there, sitting around Grog's couch and the kitchen chairs he'd taken from his old apartment. As they entered, Scanlan rose from his chair. "You said he hurt his ankle." he said.

It took Pike a moment to realize he was addressing her. "He did."

Vax nodded. "It's a just a sprain, Scanman, nothing to worry about. Budge over, Stubby." Vex obediently scooted over on the couch, and Vax sat down, leaning his crutches against the side of the couch.

"How long are you going to be in a boot?" Scanlan asked.

"Six weeks." Vax said, as Keyleth sat down on the arm of the couch beside him. "But I'll get off these crutches soon, and work is letting me take a few weeks off."

Scanlan's tone hardened. "Why didn't you tell me, Pike?"

Pike crossed her arms against her chest. "I- I did. I said he hurt his ankle."

"Hurt his ankle?" Scanlan gestured towards Vax. "He's on crutches!"

"Hey." Grog said warningly.

"Scanlan, I'm fine." Vax leaned forward. "It was my fault, I chose to try and leave through a window rather than a door."

"He did." Vex said. "It was very stupid." She rubbed Vax's arm affectionately.

Scanlan shook his head, walking towards the door. "We're not doing this anymore."

"What are you going to do, then, leave your daughter in there?" Percy called.

"I'm going to prison." Scanlan said, pushing past Pike. "They'll let her go once I'm gone."

Everyone began talking at once. "Hey." Vex said, and "No, Scanlan, wait-" started Vax, and Percy sighed, and Keyleth rose out of her seat, and Grog growled, but as Pike watched Scanlan walk towards the door of Grog's apartment, all she felt was fury, blinding fury.

Her fists clenched. "Scanlan Shorthalt, don't you dare walk out that door." she barked.

The room fell silent. At the doorway, Scanlan turned around, looking tired.

"I'm not giving up on the sting." he said. "We'll get them behind bars."

White-hot anger swept through Pike again that, after all this time, that was still all he thought of her. She took a breath to compose herself. "I don't care. Or that's not all I care about. I'm not watching you disappear for another several years, in prison-"

"Why do you care?" Scanlan snapped. "What about the last five years has made you care about me? I harassed you for years, I disappeared _,_ why the fuck do you still want me around? Because you need someone around to help you deal with your family or else you'd lose your mind?"

Pike stepped back, as if the words were physical blows. "Scanlan, stop."

"It's the truth." Scanlan said, but much of the energy had left his voice. He stepped back, looking at the rest of them. "This is exactly why I left, because I didn't want you all to get injured or killed trying to fix my fuckups, I knew you would feel obligated to just because we happened to live in the same apartment building for a few years-"

Keyleth stood. "That's not why we want to help you, Scanlan. You're our friend."

Vax nodded. "I didn't get the phone to Kaylie because I felt obligated to, I did it because I care about you, Scanlan. You're important to me."

"Why?" Scanlan said. "What have I done in the past five years that is worth you jumping out a window for me? We watched shitty movies together for a while, and then I vanished for three years without explaining, and shouted at you when you tracked me down. How is that worth it?"

"I care about you." Vax said quietly. "We're family."

Scanlan shook his head. "We lived in an apartment together for two years. Look, I'm very grateful for what you all have done in trying to free Kaylie, but I've fucked with your lives enough, I'm not going to get you killed."

To Pike's shock, Percy laughed, a sharp, bitter laugh. Everyone stared at him, and he adjusted his glasses. "Oh, I'm sorry, is this you being noble? Leaving your daughter in danger, leaving her alone and going to jail for a few years, coming back to us for just long enough for the honeymoon period to end and then fucking off again so you don't have to deal with any problems-"

"Percy." Keyleth said nervously, but Percy stood.

"You think you're the only one in this group who's ever felt like they don't deserve it?" He spread his arms. "Look at us, we're all fucked up, terrible people in our own ways. You think any of us feel we deserve this family? You can't control our choices, Scanlan _-"_

"I can." Scanlan said, voice terrifyingly calm. "I can leave. You'll all hate me, but you'll be happier."

"Scanlan, if you leave now, you'll be hurting us more than if we all broke our ankles from helping Kaylie." Vex said. "And what about Kaylie? You think she wants to be left behind for years while you go to jail?"

"It's my choice." Scanlan said, taking a step forward. "It's my life. You're not going to guilt me out of doing the right thing. My daughter will be much safer with me in jail."

"Fine." Pike said calmly. "Then go to jail. But you can't stop us from being upset over it, or caring about you, or wanting to help you. That's our decision."

Scanlan looked at her for a moment, looked at all of them, at Grog, who watched him intently, not saying a word. "I don't deserve this." he said quietly. "All of you, I don't know why- after what happened..."

"You do." Vax said. "You've been as good and loyal as a friend as any of us, and you had your reasons. Percival is right. We're all fucked up beyond belief, but we care about each other. You care about us, or you wouldn't be saying any of this. That matters more than who has done what."

"And it's not just about you." Keyleth said."We wanna help Kaylie, don't we? Think of it as us helping her, not you."

For one of the first times in Pike's memory, Scanlan was struck speechless. He looked around at all of them again. "I- I need to think." he said. He turned and left, and the door closed behind him.

In his absence, the room fell silent. Keyleth sank back onto the couch, squeezing in beside Vax, and Vax put his arm around her. Percy stood, walking to Grog's bedroom, and, after a moment, Vex followed him. Pike slouched into the seat Scanlan had vacated, next to Grog, and rested her chin on her hand.

"I knew he'd fucking do this." Grog muttered. "I knew he'd fucking walk out again."

Pike shook her head, but didn't respond.

"He's going to come back this time." Keyleth said. "He's just thinking."

In Pike's mind, over and over again, she kept hearing the things Scanlan had said to her, and to Vax, and to Percy _-_ "He didn't have any right," she said calmly, "to talk like that to us."

Vax and Keyleth exchanged glances. "Pike-" Vax began in a gentle voice.

His calmness infuriated her. "Oh, no, I understand why. But he had no right." Pike stood, and stalked out the door, closing it behind her.

Scanlan sat in the hallway, back to the wall. He looked up at her as she exited, eyes a little red. Pike sat down beside him, twisting her ring on her finger. For a moment, neither spoke.

"I know..." Pike began, and nearly faltered, but she continued, voice growing stronger. "I know that you are in a terrible situation right now, and have been for three years, and that what you and your daughter are going through is much worse than anything I could understand. And I know you are doing what you think is best. But that does not give you the right to shout at us to get us to leave you alone. You do not talk to us like that. I don't know how-" She faltered again, searching for the words. "I don't know how we can convince you that we are here because we care about you and we want to be, not because of any obligation, but we are. Every one of us."

After a long pause, Scanlan rubbed his nose. For all his thirty-six years, he looked younger than Pike had ever seen him. "Did I ever tell you," he began, "about my mother?"

"A little." Pike said warily. She knew that she'd been young when she'd had Scanlan, that she raised him by herself, that she passed away when Scanlan was in his early twenties, but that was about all. Scanlan always avoided mentioning her.

"She's why I love music." Scanlan said. "She and my dad were in a band together before he left for college, she used to tell me about it. We moved around all the time when I was growing up, so we never made too many friends. So we were close."

"Right." Pike said. "Like Vax and Vex."

Scanlan nodded. "She wasn't a very happy person. We never had enough money, it made sense. She didn't want me going into music, after what happened to her. I suppose she had a point, there, look at me now." He straightened against the walls, stretching his legs out across the floor. "But I wanted to. I had this band with my friend, Dranzel, when I was seventeen, and she wanted to move again, so I decided I was ready to be out on my own. I dropped out of high school, I crashed at Dranzel's place after she moved, I decided I was going to be a rock star instead."

"What was your band name?" Pike asked.

Scanlan smiled. "The Troupe Spectacular. We thought we were amazing."

"I'm sure you were."

"You're very kind." Scanlan said, snorting. "I stayed with them for four years. Eventually we moved to try and make it big. We rehearsed all the time, we lived together, we were close. Mom and I still called each other all the time, and she came to my shows when she could afford it, but I was always busy and she wasn't. I don't think she knew what to do with herself without a kid to raise."

"What happened?" Pike asked quietly.

"Uh, overdose." Scanlan said, voice thickening. "Probably intentional, they said. I hadn't talked to her in a week, it was- out of the blue." He swallowed, rubbing his nose again. "Took some time off from the band to deal with it, you know, all the legal stuff and her property and costs. And then I went to a few practices again, but it didn't feel right anymore. So I quit music for a while, worked a lot of shitty jobs, travelled around, slept with a lot of people, eventually got back into music, and then met Grog, and the twins, and you, and Kaylie."

Pike looked at Scanlan for a moment, taking it all in. She wanted to say "it wasn't your fault" or "we're not going to leave you" , but if it there was anything she'd learned in the medical profession, it was that certain statements turned into meaningless platitudes over time. Instead, she said,"Scanlan, what happened to you was terrible. But we care about you a lot. You are free to say or do as you like, but what you say or do affects us. You can't stop that."

"I know." Scanlan rubbed his eyes. "I don't know what to do. I don't know how to handle this."

"You don't have to handle it alone." Pike said.

Scanlan leaned his head back against the wall, looking at her. "You've done enough for me already. Why do you keep helping me? With Kaylie, with Vox Machina, with the police-"

"You're helping me too." Pike said, leaning her head against the wall to mimic him. "You were right, you're keeping me sane around them."

"That doesn't compare." Scanlan said, shaking his head.

Pike looked away from him, thinking. "You remember the night I moved in with you and Grog?" she said. "When I couldn't sleep because I was nervous about starting my residency, so you showed me the roof, and told me I was being silly, that I was meant to be a doctor. You didn't even hesitate."

"You were being silly." Scanlan said. "Look at you now."

"That's what I mean." Pike said. "You see the best in us. You don't treat Grog like a child, you helped Vax when he was depressed, you supported Percy through the Briarwoods, you see Vex as someone much better than she sees herself, and you always inspire Keyleth when she needed some support. And it's not just that you help us," she continued, "or that you're funny. You're talented, you're resourceful, you're charming, you're interesting, you're brave, and you're a good man. It would've been so easy for you to not help Kaylie. You had that album deal, you had us, things were going well for you, you gave up everything for her."

Scanlan shook his head. "I should've just told you all."

"You should've." Pike said. "But it was a difficult situation, and you did your best."

Scanlan tilted his head towards hers, holding her gaze. "Pike?"

"Yeah?" Pike said, barely audible. This wasn't the dreamy darkness of their bedroom, this was the floor outside of Grog's apartment in broad daylight, this was something much more real-

"You're..." Scanlan dropped his gaze, turning away. "You're a good friend."

Pike sat up, shifting closer to him. "Scanlan?"

The door to Grog's apartment opened, and Keyleth leaned out. "Oh, uh, sorry, am I, uh, interrupting-"

"No." Pike said, scooting away from Scanlan. "What's going on?"

"We have an, uh..." Keyleth jerked her thumb back into Grog's apartment. "We have a small, uh, situation?"

Pike helped Scanlan up, and the two of them followed Keyleth back inside. Grog paced the middle of the room, Percy standing a few yards off. The twins sat on the couch, Vex with her face buried in her hands, Vax reached out towards Grog as if to try and calm him.

"What's going on?" Pike asked.

Grog shook his head. "I swear I hid them well, Pike." he growled. "I swear I checked on them, and kept an eye on them, and locked my door whenever I left-"

Pike walked to Grog, grabbing his hands and stopping him. "Calm down, Grog, what happened?"

"They took the necklace and the earrings." Vex said, lifting her head. "I wanted to see them, and the box is there, but they're gone."

Pike met Scanlan's eyes. "I never leave them alone while you're at work." he said. "I don't know when they could have-"

"I believe you." Pike said. "They must've snuck out at night." Amidst all the thoughts racing through her mind, one thing became clear. "We need to tell Kima and Allura." she said. "And then we need to get Kaylie out as soon as we can."

"Wait, why, what's the deal with this necklace?" asked Keyleth.

"It's worth thousands." said Scanlan. "It's the only reason Pike's family showed up, to get their hands on it. If they have it, they're going to disappear before the police can arrest them, and they'll probably take Kaylie with them after the break-in."

Pike pulled out her phone. "I'm going to call Kima right now."

"Wait." Vax said. "Do they know how you found out your family was going after the jewels?"

Pike hesitated. "No." she said finally. "I told them Scanlan hadn't mentioned anything."

"We should just tell them what's going on." said Keyleth. "If we tell them we know who the leader is, I'm sure they'll give Kaylie and Scanlan immunity, and they would be much better at getting her out than we would. They're trained for this."

"Would they believe us?" Percy asked, and the others looked to him. "I mean, let's be honest here, they probably don't even completely trust Pike. If we tell them that we know who they're looking for, and it's conveniently someone living with Pike right now, and all we ask is help for Scanlan, don't you think they might assume we're using them?"

Vex shook her head. "We can't tell them, not yet."

"What if I just say that we think they're going to leave soon?" Pike asked. "I overheard them talking, or something?"

"They'll want details." Percy said. "They'll want a reason why the Trickfoots would leave, they'll want to know if it's their fault."

"And it might take a while." Scanlan added. "And if the Trickfoots find out we told them-" He swallowed, looking down.

Percy sighed. "What we need is more evidence that Ogden is what you say he is. I was hoping to find something when we went by earlier, but they've got their systems locked up pretty tight, Tary and I need much more time. I got some basic information out of it, some stuff that might help us get Kaylie out, but nothing of the kind that could incriminate Ogden."

"So we need to get Kayile out, that's our first priority." said Keyleth. "But we're nowhere near ready for that, we don't have any plan, Percy was gonna get more information about how she was guarded, and they'll be expecting us this time-"

"We need to keep the Trickfoots in town while we work that out." Vax said. "It's a week and a half til the wedding and the deadline, we just need them in town a little while longer. How could we keep them from leaving?"

"Take the necklace back." Vex suggested.

Percy shook his head. "It's probably not even in the apartment anymore, I'm sure it's somewhere out of reach. We could find something else to dangle in front of them, some other item of value that they might want..." He took off his glasses, rubbing his face. "Fuck, I wonder if Tary's got anything he'd be willing to give up."

"He's mostly broke." Vex said. "He invested a lot into the Slayer's."

"What else do the Trickfoots want, besides money?" Vax said.

Pike met Scanlan's eyes. "They want to fuck with Scanlan and I." she said.

Scanlan nodded. "They've been trying to provoke us for days, since the break-in. They're pissed at us. Implying that we're not physically affectionate enough, and making horrible comments about Wilhand, and pressuring us to fill out the legal paperwork for the wedding..." He stopped. "I've got an idea, but I don't think you'll like it, Pike."

"What?"

"We schedule a court date." Scanlan said. "A week from now, so they aren't too antsy. We tell them we're sick of wedding planning and we just want to elope. We try and get Kaylie out before hand, if we can, and hopefully, we don't have to go through with it."

Pike blinked, feeling all eyes in the room on her. "And if we do?" she asked quietly.

"Then we do." Scanlan said. "And we get a divorce, or an annulment, and we've still achieved what we wanted to."

Pike shook her head. "We can't cancel and reschedule when we make the appointment." she said. "They'll get suspicious."

"Right." The room was very, very quiet.

Vax shifted in his seat. "If you're going to ask her to marry you, Shorthalt, I feel like you should at least be on one knee."

"Vax!" hissed Vex, but the tension was broken, and Pike smiled.

"You're really doing this?" Grog said, looking between them. "You're really gonna get married?"

"Maybe." Pike admonished him. "Only if we don't get everything figured out before then."

"Maybe." Scanlan repeated, eyes still on Pike. He got down onto one knee with a theatrical motion, and took on a lofty, formal voice. "What about it, Pikeypants? You want to get legally married to get your family arrested?"

Pike smiled, although she had an unpleasant fluttering feeling in her chest. "I thought you'd never ask."

In the silence afterwards, Grog shook his head. "This is fucked up." he said, standing and crossing to his kitchen cabinets. "This whole thing is fucked up." He opened a cabinet door and pulled out his bottle of whiskey and a cup.

"Agreed." Percy said, adjusting his glasses. "Now, Scanlan, I take this all to mean that we are rescuing Kaylie after all?"

Scanlan stood, brushing off his knee. "I'm sorry." he said after a moment. "For what I said to all of you."

"You're in a rough place, Scanlan, we understand." said Vax, but over at the counter, Grog poured some whiskey into a glass and took a quick shot.

Scanlan shook his head. "No. You were right, Percy, what you said. I should not have lost sight of that, either time. And I would be honored if you all would help me free Kaylie, and I am so grateful that you all want to help."

"We're grateful that you've gotten that through your thick head." said Vex. "We're here to stay, if you want us."

"I do."

"Great." Vax clapped his hands together. "Then let's figure out this Kaylie situation."

* * *

 **Next up: Pike and the Trickfoots head downtown.**


	17. The Big Day

**(late 2014)**

Maybe it was Pike's excitement, but Halloweenfest seemed more crowded than usual that year. Vex agreed to make a second trip for the Trickfoots' things, and the whole group crammed into the back of her truck and made their way through heavy traffic to a parking lot downtown. It took them several minutes to find a spot, and when they did, it cost a bundle, as parking downtown always did.

During dinner, Scanlan texted the groupchat, _Come backstage. They're allowing visitors,_ and an address.

"Sounds like fun." Johann said. Grog and Pike exchanged looks. She would have to keep an eye on them.

It would give her an excuse to not be alone with Scanlan, anyways.

Backstage turned out to be a nearby gym behind the stage, repurposed as a storage place for instruments and performers alike. Scanlan waited outside with a grin. He was already dressed for his performance, in a loose, shimmery, open-chested floral shirt, a pair of tight black pants, and a muddle of earrings and bangles around his wrists. His performance makeup was heavy, as it had to be for a venue this large. He said something to the security at the doorway as they walked in.

The security guard looked them over. "This many?"

Scanlan's grin didn't falter. "Oh, they'll be good, I promise. They're family."

"Family, huh?" asked the security guard, eyeing them. "Can't say I see the resemblance." After a moment, he sighed. "I suppose none of you are kids, though. Come on in, and if anything happens, it's on your head, Shorthalt."

"Got it." Scanlan said, mock saluting, and they follow him in. The large, open gym had been divided up into a series of taped-out areas for each artist, with folding tables, racks for clothing, and plenty of room for their equipment. Dozens of people milled about in the area, techies, band members, assistants, families, all talking, drinking, or working. Pike didn't see Kaylie, but a section of the areas was empty with only equipment, and she suspected the people who performed earlier that day might be out and enjoying the festival by now.

Immediately, Vax craned his neck, examining the room.

"The Raven Queens aren't in here." Scanlan said. "They've got their own trailer. It's very hush-hush."

"Of course they do." Vax said, but his shoulders slumped slightly.

Scanlan spread his arms. "This is it! This is backstage! Where all us genius minds come together."

The Trickfoots stared around with interest, and Keyleth's mouth fell open as she examined the mix of people. "Which one is yours?" she asked.

"Come on." Scanlan said, and they followed him to a table near the back. All his equipment cases lay open, everything looking polished and untangled, and he'd set up a small mirror and a lamp on the table for preparing. "I get people to help me load in everything as the act before me starts. I've got it all tuned, but I might tune it again just to be sure."

As the conversation continued, Pike noticed Astra and Johann wandering over near another artist's unguarded equipment. She cross to them, trying to keep her voice casual. "We probably shouldn't mess with those."

"Oh, we weren't going to." Johann said. "Just wanted to have a look."

Astra nodded. "This is so exciting, we've never been backstage before! Emon is so exciting!"

"It is." Pike said, but she determinedly lead them back to where the rest of the group as, clustered in Scanlan's taped-out square. Scanlan met her eyes as she returned and she gave him a smile.

"You know," Scanlan said, "the others have been saying that they've spotted the Raven Queens."

"Where?" JB asked, mouth open.

Scanlan pointed towards the back, where a row of lockers framed a double door. "Out back." he said. "They think that's where their trailer is being stored. You could probably take a look as long as you didn't get too close."

Keyleth grabbed Vax's hand and pulled him towards the back, and the Trickfoots quickly followed. As Pike prepared to follow with the rest of the group, Scanlan said. "Pike."

Pike turned around, folding her arms.

"I just...I want you to know..." Scanlan began. "No pressure. We don't have to talk about what happened if you don't want to. I've told you before, I'm your friend, and I'm happy to be your friend."

Pike nodded. "Thank you. I'm just- confused. And we're roommates, and there's Grog, and you're my friend."

"I know." Scanlan said. "I'm sorry if I ever went too far with any of this. You are free to do whatever you want to."

"Thank you." Pike said again. "You're a good person, Scanlan, and a good friend."

Scanlan smiled. "You flatter me, Trickfoot."

"No more than you've ever flattered me, Shorthalt." Pike replied, grinning. "You'll do great tonight. There's no reason to even worry about it."

Scanlan reached up a hand to his hair. "I hope so."

"I'm gonna go see the Raven Queens." Pike said, jerking her thumb over her shoulder.

Scanlan grinned. "Oh, I'm not sure if you can see them from there, honestly. Just wanted to see how excited Vax got when I mentioned them."

"I take it back." Pike said, laughing. "You're not a good person."

"Wanna go see anyways?" Scanlan asked.

Pike nodded, and followed him after the rest of the group.

* * *

 **(2017)**

Scanlan and Pike were married on a Tuesday evening.

It had been a rough week for everyone involved. Scanlan slept badly, eyes always on Pike's phone, dreading a text from Kaylie saying she was being relocated. The mystery of why the Trickfoots stayed unnerved Pike. She even went back over to Grog's house after work to search _,_ but the necklace and earrings had disappeared. The Trickfoots had to have them, and yet they still made little sidelong comments about Scanlan's music and Pike's childhood, and Astra was still trying to pick out a dress for Pike to go with her necklace.

"It would be so much easier," Astra said, holding the dress against her body, "if I had it here, so we could see how they compare."

Pike struggled to keep the smile on her face. It was Saturday evening, two days before the wedding ceremony, and every hour that passed seemed an eternity. "I want to keep it safe, Auntie. I've heard there's been break-ins in some of the other apartments in this building, I don't want to risk it."

"Oh, but surely, between all of us in this apartment every night, we couldn't be broken into?" Astra said. She gazed down at the sparkling dress. "A pity, I don't think this will go after all."

"We'll see." said Pike. "I like it."

Finally, after a painful five days of waiting, Pike stopped outside her apartment door, too aware she was getting married tonight. The night weeks ago, when she'd stopped outside her door, barely believing Scanlan was behind it _,_ seemed centuries away. The thought of what she was about to do tonight was even less believable.

Pike gripped her keys in her hand tightly, steeling her resolve. She unlocked the door and pushed her way inside.

* * *

She and Scanlan took a taxi down to the courthouse, generously paid for by Johann and Astra. Johann had taken the front seat, while Astra had crammed herself into the back with Pike and Scanlan. She looked delighted to be stretched over most of the backseat, pushing Pike further into Scanlan. Astra and Johann kept up a lively conversation, drawing both Pike and Scanlan as well as the taxi driver in whenever they could. Pike, however, stayed quiet, glancing over at Scanlan. She'd never gotten the story behind the new scar on his eye, never thought to ask in the weeks they'd spent together.

Scanlan met her eyes, and Pike took his hand, rubbing her thumb against his palm. She regretted, suddenly, not saying all the things she should've said. Especially with the night they had coming up.

They'd tried to get a night away all week, but the Trickfoots wouldn't let them out of their sight until they'd told them they were renting an expensive hotel room for their wedding night. So tonight, Pike and Scanlan were heading out with Vox Machina to rescue Kaylie. Scanlan had insisted on coming with them this time, despite the tracker. He'd reasoned, after Kaylie was freed, they were going to the police about Ogden anyways, and it could even help if the police showed up.

The group arrived at the courthouse fifteen minutes before their appointment, as requested. Pike followed Astra out of the taxi, and extended a hand to Scanlan to help him out. An hysterical giggle bubbled up in her throat at the appointment they had made, like they were going to the dentist or getting a haircut.

The court was busy for this time of night. Scanlan walked up to the nearest counter. "Hello." he said, grinning. "We are looking to- ahem, excuse me- to get married."

The receptionist, a older woman with thick glasses, examined them. "Do you have an appointment?" she asked.

"Yes, of course." Scanlan said. "Under Shorthalt. Or maybe Trickfoot. Or both."

This time, Pike was unable to stifle the giggle. She pressed her hand to her mouth as Johann and Astra looked at her. "Sorry. I'm just excited."

"Of course you are, dear." Astra said, patting her shoulder..

The receptionist jerked her thumb. "Waiting room's down that hallway. Do you have your marriage license, IDs, and rings?"

"Yes, we do." Scanlan said, producing the marriage license.

The receptionist jerked her thumb again. "Talk to the man down there, I'm not the receptionist for this whole building."

"Of course, ma'am, sorry." Scanlan said, flashing his grin again.

The receptionist sniffed. "And don't flirt with me, you're getting married." Pike snorted in an unladylike fashion, and the receptionist clicked her tongue disapprovingly.

Scanlan took her arm as they walked down the hallway. "Are you alright, Pikeypants?"

The use of his old nickname for her set her off into a fit of giggles, and she had to stop walking for a moment. "Sorry." Pike said, taking a deep breath. "Did you ever think we'd do this?"

"I hoped." Scanlan said.

Pike shook her head. "Oh, Scanlan."

"Come on." Scanlan said, offering his hand to her again, and Pike took it.

Johann fell in step beside her, clapping her on the shoulder. "It's alright to be nervous! Lord knows I was."

"It's only the rest of your life!" said Astra behind Scanlan. She threw back her head and cackled.

Pike smiled. "Oh, I'm not nervous." she said, glancing at Scanlan. "I know I'm making the right choice."

They checked in with the receptionist and settled into some uncomfortable plastic chairs. Pike looked around at the other couples as they waited. She'd expected it to be the usual public waiting room, filled with people staring at their phones or into space, but apparently the prospect of marriage, even in a court on a Tuesday night, livened things up. Two women across from her whispered and giggled together, one with their marriage license clutched tightly in her hand. A group over to Pike's left was much louder, passing around a brown paper bag that did not contain a bottle of water. Two men sat over in a corner, holding hands, talking animatedly with a bouncing, grinning toddler.

Pike turned away, looking down at her and Scanlan's hands, clasped together on the armrest in between them, and suddenly, laughing was the last thing she felt like doing.

"Scanlan Shorthalt and Pike Trickfoot!" called the receptionist.

Pike and Scanlan stood, and Pike met his eyes. She could see the same thought she had reflected there- _Are we really about to do this?_

"Not getting second thoughts, are you?" Johann boomed.

Scanlan looked away from Pike. "Course not."

They followed the clerk down the hallway to another room. Pike had expected something fancy, but the room was perfectly ordinary, with the usual nonpolitical murals and plaques upon the wall. They were given a few documents to sign and directed where to stand, and then the ceremony began.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..." The clerk sounded absolutely bored out of his mind.

Pike took another deep breath as she examined Scanlan across from her. He looked more like his old rockstar persona than she'd seen him in the weeks since he'd returned, with a dark purple blazer on over a lavender buttonup shirt and dark jeans. He'd even borrowed a pair of her earrings. She'd brought the glittering dress Astra disapproved of, and put her hair into a braided bun. Despite Astra's insistence, Pike had assured her she didn't want to wear the jewelry tonight, not until their wedding reception.

Scanlan took her hands, and Pike blinked, realizing the officiant was talking to them.

"Repeat after me." the officiant said. "I, Scanlan, take thee, Pike.."

"I, Scanlan, take thee, Pike." The world had narrowed down to the two of them, to Scanlan's eyes burning into her own.

"To have and to hold, from this day forward..."

"To have and to hold, from this day forward..."

"For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health..."

"For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health..." Scanlan's palms were sweaty in her hands. Pike wanted to break eye contact, to laugh, to do something, but she was frozen in place. Oh, this had gone too far.

"To love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live."

"To love and to cherish," Scanlan repeated, voice growing soft, "as long as we both shall live."

The officiant nodded, apparently satisfied. "And now, Ms. Trickfoot, would you repeat after me? I, Pike, take thee, Scanlan..."

Pike blinked, flushing. She couldn't tear her eyes away from Scanlan's. She repeated the vows mindlessly, robotically.

"To love and cherish, as long as we both shall live."

Pike licked her lips, mouth suddenly dry. She cleared her throat. "To- to love and cherish, as long as we both shall live."

They exchanged the rings without a word. They'd gone ring shopping over the weekend, and these two golden bands were much plainer than their engagement rings. Pike nearly fumbled and dropped hers, but Scanlan managed to catch it, and his chuckle as he handed it back to her was jarring in the quiet room. Pike pushed the ring onto his finger, and offered her hand as he did the same, while the officiant droned on about the rings being a symbol of love and commitment. If only he knew, Pike thought.

"Scanlan Shorthalt and Pike Trickfoot, by the power vested in me by the county government, it is my pleasure to now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Scanlan didn't move. Pike saw her panic reflected in his eyes, as the enormity of what had just happened sank in.

"Well?" Astra said. "Kiss her, honey!"

Scanlan stepped forward almost mechanically, and stopped, hands travelling up to her shoulders. Before the pause could drag on, Pike took the initiative, cupping his face in her hands and kissing him. Scanlan was barely responsive, and Pike tried to convey that she was there with him, that they were doing this for a reason, and she was freaked out too, but they were okay, because they were together.

When they pulled apart, Pike heard Johann and Astra clapping.

Astra sniffed, wiping a tear from her cheek. "Oh, I told you. Wasn't that beautiful? Aren't you so happy to be married?"

"Yeah." Scanlan said, voice cracking. He cleared his throat. "Yeah, we're...married. That's great."

"Look at them, they're too stunned to handle it." Astra said to Johann. "You'll feel it later tonight when you're in that honeymoon suite, I'm sure."

Pike turned red, dropping Scanlan's hands as though they were on fire. She covered up the movement by examining the new ring on her finger.

"Now, if you'll just come with Darren," the officiant said, gesturing to the clerk, "we have a few more papers for you to sign."

"When will they get their official certificate?" Johann asked.

"A few days from now." said the officiant. "In no time at all."

"No time at all." Pike repeated, voice small. Scanlan offered her his hand, and she, gratefully, took it. As they followed the officiant back out into the hallway, Pike held her left hand out in front of her, staring at her new ring, and the way it glinted in the light. Their vows rang in her ears, drowning out the congratulations from her aunt and uncle. She still felt the ghost of his lips on hers.

Scanlan laughed, finally, breathily. "Never thought we'd be the first members of Vox Machina to get married."

Pike just shook her head.

* * *

 **Next up: Scanlan performs, and Keyleth makes a purchase.**


	18. Choices

**(late 2014)**

After visiting Scanlan, the group wandered to the mainstage area to watch the last few acts before Scanlan's. A folk band played, and a female soloist, and an electronic group, and then Scanlan walked out onstage, looking oddly small underneath the stage lights.

"Hello!" Scanlan said into the mic. "My name is Scanlan Shorthalt, and I'm going to play a few songs for you, if that's alright."

Scanlan's show was fantastic. He worked the crowd easily, as he always did, even creating a running gag when he kept switching between instruments. His set was well-chosen, starting with a cover of a well-known song before moving on to the most popular of his original songs.

Pike's favorite moment, however, was when Scanlan stepped up to the mic after a slower ballad.

"This one," he began, "is for a good friend of mine." He launched into a cover of "Take a Chance on Me" that had the crowd on their feet dancing and singing along.

Vex gave her a strange look as Pike sang along loudly, jumping up and down. "Is this for you?" she asked.

Pike smiled. "Inside joke." she shouted back. "Long story."

At some point, towards the end of Scanlan's act, Astra pushed her way through the crowd over to Pike. "We're thinking of leaving." she said. "Ogden's got to get to bed."

"Do you want me and Grog to help you find a taxi?" Pike said.

Astra shook her head. "No, we can do it. It's been great to see you, Pike, really."

Throughout the rest of the show, Pike felt lighter than air. Her family was gone, she would have her own cot back tonight, and she and Scanlan had talked things out. Scanlan himself joined them two acts after his, just in time for the Raven Queens to come on. Although they were no Sarenrae, Pike could not deny the Raven Queens had their own magic, especially in live shows on nights like these. She, along with the rest of the group, danced and sang their hearts out until the Raven Queens left the stage after two encores.

The group made their way back to the backstage area to get Scanlan's equipment, exhausted but happy, chatting excitedly about the concert.

"And of course yours was fantastic!" Vex said to Scanlan as they approached his station. "Why are they keeping you in coffee shops and bars?"

"I wish I knew." Scanlan said, grinning. A woman in professional dress stood in his station, examining his equipment. He sped up a bit. "Can I help you?"

"I'm with Pantheon records." she said, handing him her card. "We're a company focused on making albums for local talent, and we'd love to talk to you about recording something. We've got a lot of connections with local radio and larger producers, it would be a great forward step for you."

"Th-thank you." Scanlan said, gingerly taking the card. "I've heard of you, yeah."

The woman smiled. "Great show tonight." she said. Her heels clicked against the floor as she walked away.

Scanlan stared at the card in his hand, and the rest of them stared at Scanlan. "Buddy, that's where the Queens started." Vax said, in a reverential voice.

"I know." Scanlan said. He turned the card over in his hands. "Bit of a step up from bars and coffee shops."

"That's amazing!" Keyleth said, and the others all chimed in, congratulating him and clapping him on the back.

"You could get on the radio again!" Vex said.

Grog nodded. "You could get, like, really really famous, and then we could afford a bigger apartment!"

"Pantheon's big for a local company." said Percy. "They've got a lot of great connections."

"That's wonderful." Pike said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You deserve it, you've worked really hard."

Scanlan met her eyes. He looked thrilled, yes, but also terrified.

"Shall we get the equipment to the truck?" Vex asked. "I'm exhausted."

* * *

 **(2017)**

They took a separate taxi from the courthouse to the Slayer's Cake, where Vox Machina planned to meet up. Pike carried an overnight bag with her, with a change of clothes inside for both of them, and a first aid kit. As she and Scanlan rode in the taxi, the only noise was the radio. Then, Scanlan snorted.

"What is it?" Pike asked.

"Listen." Scanlan said, pointing, and, on the radio, Laura Nyro crooned the unmistakeable words of "Wedding Bell Blues". _Kisses and love won't carry me, til you marry me, Biiiiillll!_

Pike joined in on his giggles, and Scanlan leaned forward, tapping on the glass divider between them and the taxi driver. "Scuse me, could you turn that song up?"

The driver obliged, and "Wedding Bell Blues" blasted into the back seat. As they hit the final chorus, Pike laughed again, looking at Scanlan, and Scanlan joined in.

"We're married." he said quietly. "I'm Mr. Trickfoot."

"I'm Mrs. Shorthalt." Pike said. She giggled again, covering her mouth. " _Mrs._ We have rings."

"We've got rings." Scanlan said. "Wedding Bell Blues" faded out, replaced by a commercial for air conditioning, and the driver turned down the radio.

"We do." Pike said quietly. "We're married."

"We're married."

And suddenly all the air was sucked out of the backseat of the cab. "Scanlan." Pike began.

"Yeah?"

Pike didn't know how to finish that, so she shifted in her seat, looking out the window. "Nothing. Just- thank you. For helping me with my family these past few weeks."

"Didn't have much of a choice."

"No, you did." Pike said. "You could've stolen the necklace, exchanged it for Kaylie, and disappeared again. But you didn't. So thank you."

"Thank you." Scanlan said. "For convincing me to ask for help, and for helping me so much with her. Pike." He licked his lips, looking down at his lap. _"_ You remember what I said to you the night before I left?"

Pike remembered, vividly. "Of course."

"I don't know what's going to happen tonight-"

"Scanlan." Pike said. "Don't talk like that."

"Okay." Scanlan took a deep breath.

Pike rubbed her hands together in her lap. "And, um, by the way-"

Scanlan looked up, meeting her eyes, and the taxi rolled to a stop, jerking them both.

"Slayer's Cake." said the taxi driver into his microphone. "Fourteen fifty-eight."

"I got it." said Pike, digging her wallet out of her overnight bag. Someone rapped on Scanlan's window, and Pike looked up. Vex stood on the curb, dressed in dark clothing.

Pike met Scanlan's eyes again, but they had lost their privacy, so she settled for pulling money out of her wallet and handing it to the taxi driver as Vex opened the door for them.

"Where have you been?" Vex asked.

"Getting married." Scanlan said with a grin, stepping out. "Rude of you to miss our wedding."

"Come on in, we're ready." said Vex, and Pike followed Scanlan out of the taxi.

* * *

Vax drove this time, Keyleth in the front seat, and Pike and Scanlan squeezed into the middle row of seats with Grog while Vex and Percy took the back. Last time, the air had been buzzing with adrenaline and excitement, something confident about the way they'd bickered over music. This time, between the deadline, increased stakes, and Vax's injury, no one said a word.

Vox Machina parked on a nearby street without driving past the house. They weren't all going inside this time. Vex, as the stealthiest person besides Vax, and Grog, as the most capable fighter, were breaking in with Scanlan, who, despite the risk, steadfastly refused to wait another second to see Kaylie. Pike, Percy, and Keyleth were stationed outside, to cause a distraction or stage an intervention if needed.

As she climbed out of the van, Pike fiddled with the handle of her knife nervously. Keyleth kissed Vax through the unrolled window of the van, and Percy and Vex did not let go of each other's hands. Pike glanced over at Scanlan, and he offered her a smile.

She, Percy, and Keyleth separated from the group almost immediately. They would be approaching the house from a different direction, sidling in around the front. They had planned to loiter on the sidewalk nearby, but as Pike walked up the street, Percy whispered, "We're going to have to wait by the gas station."

"Why?" Pike breathed.

Percy jerked his head, to a few figures flanking the doorway. "More guards."

She, Keyleth, and Percy entered the gas station with a jingle of the doorway. If the cashier was surprised to see three darkly-clad figures in his store, he didn't show it. Pike kept her ears strained for any noise as the three examined a rack of chips.

Several long minutes passed. Pike caught the gas station attendant eyeing them, so she moved on from the chip rack, picking up a package of cookies. Percy exited altogether, sitting down on the sidewalk outside of the gas station.

"Are you gonna buy anything?" grunted the gas station attendant.

"Oh, uh, no thanks, we're just looking." Keyleth sad.

The gas station attendant made a noise of disdain in the back of his throat. "Gotta say, I don't get many 'just looking' customers at this time of night in this neighborhood. Especially dressed the way you three are. If I don't see some money, I think I might have to call the police."

Keyleth grabbed a can of hairspray off the shelf, and brought it up to the counter. The attendant arched one eyebrow, and slowly blew out a sigh through his nose. After a moment, Keyleth added a lighter to the counter, and a twenty dollar bill. "Keep the change?" she said nervously.

He muttered something unkind, but rang her up anyways.

"Thank you so much, sir." Keyleth said, stuffing the lighter and hairspray into her pocket.

The attendant turned his eye on Pike. "You gonna buy something?"

"Uh-"

A sharp crack across the street interrupted her. Pike and Keyleth exchanged glances and broke into a run, slamming open the gas station door. Percy was already up and moving. The guards had disappeared inside, but Percy fired anyways, blowing out a window on the bottom floor. The three of them raced around the house, to a side window Vex and Percy had used to get in last time, and Keyleth began undoing the latch.

Another gunshot boomed upstairs, followed by a muffled shout. Pike pushed in front of Keyleth, and forcibly shoved the window open, snapping the latch. She climbed in and offered a hand to the others. Percy went in last, keeping his gun trained behind them.

By the layout of the house, Pike guessed they stood in an old sitting room. Outside, at the end of a hallway, a female figure darted away from them. Pike and Keyleth quietly followed her to a back staircase, but the woman heard them and turned, pointing her gun. "Don't come any closer!"

Pike and Keyleth stopped, raising their hands slowly.

"That's right." The girl grinned, revealing a missing tooth. "You must be-"

Percy rounded the corner and shot the wall behind the woman, sending bits of drywall raining onto her and Pike. The woman lowered her gun for a second, and Pike lunged, catching her around the ankle. On the uneven staircase, it didn't take much to topple the woman's balance, and she fell. Pike snatched up the woman's gun as she, Percy, and Keyleth raced around the woman's groaning form and into the upstairs hallway.

The upstairs hallway was cramped, and loud. Grog roared from behind a door somewhere, and two guards raced down the hall away from them, towards the room at the end.

"Duck." Percy hissed, and Pike ducked. A moment later, a bullet went whizzing over her head, striking one of the guards in the leg. The guard went down, and the other turned. Pike raised her gun, aiming at the other guard's leg, but as she fired, pain bloomed in her left arm and she cried out.

For a moment, she saw stars, and had to lean against the wall, clutching at her arm. Another gunshot, another thud, and someone yelped in pain. Keyleth's face appeared in her vision, cool hands on either side of her face. "Pike, you need to get up, all right?"

Pike's head spun, but she nodded. Her arm was on fire, pain worse than the time when she'd gotten her scar. Warm liquid leaked onto her fingertips. She stood, and Keyleth tried to support her, but Pike waved her off with her uninjured arm. "Get the med kit." she said hoarsely. "It's in my bag. Percy, cover us."

Once Pike and Keyleth had managed a hasty tourniquet and bandage, Percy whispered, "Let's go", and the three crept down the hall, to the worryingly silent room at the end. Keyleth opened the door carefully, the other two behind her, guns raised.

Inside, Pike slowed, confused. Kaylie was tightly bound to a ramshackle bed in front of them. Grog stood by her window, still, eyes flicking between the door and a spot beside it.

"Come in and close the door behind you." said a deep voice from beside the door, and Keyleth obeyed, stepping in. Pike and Percy hesitated. "All of you."

"Guys, listen to him." Keyleth's voice was high pitched with panic.

Pike and Percy followed. Pike barely registered the click of the door as Percy closed it behind them.

On the wall beside them, out of sight from the hallway, stood Johann, Astra, and Ogden. Johann had his arm firmly wrapped around Vex, hand over her mouth, gun pressed to the side of her head, and Astra mirrored his position with Scanlan. Between them stood Ogden, arms crossed over his chest.

"Hello, dear." Astra said, smiling at Pike. "Enjoying your honeymoon?"

* * *

 **A/N: Semester's over, which means much more time to edit and update!**

 **Next up: Hangovers, and other maladies.**


	19. Trickfoots

**Graphic violence warnings for this chapter.**

* * *

 **(late 2014)**

The morning after Halloweenfest was only notable for it being the last normal morning in the Greyskull apartment. They made their usual banter over breakfast, joking about Scanlan's hangover and Pike and Grog's upcoming sparring match, and then Grog left for work and Pike and Scanlan were alone.

The silence after Grog left was companionable. Pike smiled as she set her toast onto her plate, and grabbed an orange from the bowl by the sink. "Remember to wash your plates." she said as she sat down next to Scanlan.

"I will." Scanlan said. "As soon as I don't feel like death."

Pike bit into the toast, enjoying the crisp crunch. "Have you called Pantheon records yet?"

Scanlan shook his head. "No, I was going to today."

"Do you know which songs you're going to use?"

"I figured I'd wait until they specified how many songs they wanted me to write. But that reminds me, I have something I want to show you." He stood, walking back into his room.

Pike peeled her orange. "What is it?"

Scanlan returned, carrying his guitar. "You know that new song I was working on a few weeks ago? I finished it last week." He sat down on the couch and positioned the guitar in his lap, placing his fingers over the strings.

"Yeah?"

Scanlan nodded. "Was working on it some while I was getting ready for the show, actually. You wanna hear?"

"Of course." Pike smiled, setting down her orange. "I'm all ears."

Scanlan strummed a chord, one in minor, but before he could continue, someone knocked on the door.

Pike stood, sighing. "It's too early, go away!" she called as she crossed to the door. When she pulled it open, however, a stranger stood on the other side. The woman was short, redhaired, and muscular, dressed in a police uniform.

Pike blinked. "Can- can I help you?"

"Kima Vord." the woman said. She held up a badge. "From the Emon PD. Can I ask you a few questions?"

"O-of course." Pike said, backing up to let the woman in. She was well aware of the dishevelled state of her apartment, of the cot in full view of the door, and the fact that her living with Grog and Scanlan wasn't exactly in the lease. "Um, we were just eating breakfast. What can I help you with?"

Kima examined the room, unsmiling. "I understand you've been in contact with your aunt and uncle? Johann and Astra Trickfoot?"

"Yes." Pike said. "They, um, they came for a visit this past week. They've been staying here."

"May I sit?" Kima said, indicating the vacated kitchen chair, and Pike nodded. "Miss Trickfoot, are you aware that your uncle and aunt are wanted in conjunction with several high-profile robbery cases in the Emon region?"

Pike traded a horrified glance with Scanlan. "No." she said. "I had no idea. They just came for a visit, I hadn't seen them for years before then."

"I understand." Kima said, pulling out a notepad. "Well, we've had several reports of robbery from Halloweenfest last night, and we think it may be in conjunction with your family, based on security footage. If you don't mind, I'd like to know their whereabouts."

"I don't know." Pike said. "They left last night. Robbery?"

Kima nodded, writing that down. "Some stage equipment. A lot of money from the performers. Most of it from the backstage area where the performers were being held."

Pike's mouth dropped open, and she looked at Scanlan. "We never left them alone." she said. "We were supervising them the whole time-"

"They must've come back after my act." Scanlan said. He offered his hand to Kima. "Scanlan Shorthalt. I'm Pike's roommate. I'm happy to answer any questions."

"Good, I'll need some information from you, too." Kima said. "To start with, when did they arrive, and who was accompanying them?"

* * *

 **(2017)**

Pike stepped forward, and Ogden raised his hand. Through the haze of the burning pain in her arm, it took Pike a moment to register the gun in Ogden's hand, pointed beside her, at Grog.

"Take another step." he said, voice a threat, and Pike stopped. Ogden grinned crookedly at her stricken face. "Told you she knew." he said over his shoulder to Johann. "Look at her. No, 'it was you, Ogden?' No 'you can talk, Ogden?' Scanlan probably told her the first night." He spat on the ground in Scanlan's direction. "I knew we couldn't trust him. You really thought we wouldn't know? You've been begging for a night away all week, you thought we wouldn't figure out what you were up to?"

"All right, all right, you were right, let's get on with it." Johann said. "This one thinks I don't notice her trying to wriggle." He slid his arm down to Vex's neck and tightened. Vex let out a strangled gasp.

"Let her go." Percy said from behind Pike, gun clicking.

Ogden laughed. "You think if you shoot me, there's any chance of her leaving alive?" There was a pause, and he smirked. "That's what I thought."

"The rest of them are just helping me." Pike said quietly. "This is between us and Scanlan. Let them leave, they won't go to the police while Scanlan and I are here."

"Oh, I'm going to let them leave." Ogden said. "As soon as you get me that necklace and earrings."

All of the blood drained from Pike's face. "I don't have them." she said. "I don't know where they are-"

Ogden pointed his gun at her, and the ensuing gunshot nearly deafened Pike. It took her a moment to register Percy's grunt behind her, and Keyleth's scream as something heavy hit the ground. In Johann's grip, Vex struggled harder, but Johann tightened his grip around her neck.

"Now, I'm going to ask again, and I don't want you to lie this time." Ogden said, pointing his gun at Grog. "I don't think you want to lose your brother, do you?"

"I gave it to Grog!" Pike said, words coming out in a rush, all on top of one another. "It was in his apartment, but it disappeared."

"Disappeared?" Ogden said, voice dripping with disbelief. "You expect me to believe that?" He fired, but Grog managed to duck, getting hit in the shoulder instead. He let out a roar of pain, and his fists clenched.

"Grog, please." Pike said, seeing Astra pull Scanlan closer, onto his tiptoes.

"Worried about your hubby, are you?" Astra said with a cackle.

"Silent." said Ogden. He looked at Pike. "The next one won't miss. Tell me. Where is the jewelry?"

Sweat dripped down her forehead. She was too aware of Percy's gasping breaths behind her and the way Vex's eyes fixated on him, of the blood already staining Grog's shirt, of her own arm throbbing with pain, of the metal pressed against Scanlan's hair. "It's- it's at the Slayer's." she said finally. "In the back-"

"JB, go fetch the jewelry." Ogden said. JB stood. Until that moment, Pike hadn't even realized she was in the room- she sat quietly in the corner, arms wrapped around her knees, observing the proceedings.

"Wait." Pike said. "It's in the store safe, it needs a combination." It was all she could think to do- get out, lose JB somehow, and call the police. But they would be expecting that-

"What's the combination?" Ogden said.

Pike bit her lip. "It's- it's really long."

Ogden raised an eyebrow. "We've got time."

"Um-" Before she finished her sentence, footsteps creaked behind her, and Pike was shoved to the ground.

A shot exploded across the room, and Ogden shouted, and something hissed above Pike's head. Intense heat flared up next to her arm, and Pike rolled away. Keyleth stood above her, holding out the lighter in front of her can of hairspray, while Ogden had dropped his gun to put out the fire quickly spreading across his legs and the floor. Grog roared, charging straight at Ogden, and tackled him to the ground.

"Come on." Keyleth said, pulling Pike onto her feet. Pike looked frantically for Vex and Scanlan. As she watched, Vex kneed Johann in the groin, grabbed his gun, and wrapped her arms around him. Scanlan and Astra still struggled, but Vex pulled Johann around to face them, pressing the gun against his head.

"Let go of him and let us leave." Vex said, voice tight, eyes flicking anxiously to the roaring flames.

Astra didn't hesitate. She let go of Scanlan, and dropped her gun onto the ground with a clatter.

The fire was spreading now, across the wooden floor. Pike ran for Kaylie on the bed, and sawed at her bindings with her knife. Grog joined her, tugging violently at the ropes until they loosened enough for Kaylie to slip out. As Grog pulled Kaylie to her feet, she spat out her gag.

"I need help with Percy!" Keyleth shouted. Pike turned, and her heart leapt in her throat- Percy lay on the ground, half-held-up by Keyleth, with a pool of dark blood rapidly spreading from his midsection. Vex immediately let go of Johann, pushing him violently to the ground, and grabbed Percy's other arm. Across from them, flames licked up the wall. Astra and JB had run over to Ogden to try and help him up.

"Go, Grog!" Vex said. "Cover us!"

Grog nodded and left, and Vex and Keyleth followed quickly behind him, carrying Percy. Kaylie, Scanlan, and Pike hurried after them.

"Don't help me, go after them!" Ogden shouted. Something banged above them, and pieces of the doorframe rain down on Pike as she hurried after Kaylie and Scanlan. Grog thundered down the staircase, Keyleth, Percy, and Vex behind him. By the time Pike had reached the bottom of the staircase, three guards lay unmoving on the ground and Vex and Keyleth were carrying Percy out of the front door. They struggled for a moment, pivoting to fit him through, and Pike heard footsteps behind her in the hall.

Finally, Vex and Keyleth made it through, and Kaylie followed. Pike and Scanlan darted after her, but Pike tripped over one of the guards on the floor and landed flat on her face. She only had a moment to hear Scanlan shouting her name before she was yanked to her feet, something cold pressing against her forehead. Scanlan stopped, staring at her, wide-eyed.

Astra chuckled, and wrapped her hand around Pike's injured arm, digging her thumb into the bandage on Pike's arm. Pike screamed. The pain of it was beyond anything she'd ever felt before.

"You weren't thinking of leaving, were you?" Astra said, voice close to Pike's ear. Pike sucked in air in gulps, water leaking from her eyes. "After you were so hospitable to us for the past month, it's only polite for us to return the favor." Her hand travelled from Pike's arm, to her neck, to her hair, stroking it. "You had such lovely dark hair. Shame you dyed it. Your mother wouldn't approve."

Pike twisted, trying to elbow Astra, but Astra's hand went to the wound on her arm again, and squeezed. Pike cried out again, going limp in Astra's grip, and Astra jerked her back to her feet.

"Maybe we should go see your mother." Astra said, and flecks of spit hit Pike's neck. "One last time before we kill you. Let her know what her daughter's become, spending millions on medical school and weddings while her family steals to get by-"

"Astra, the rest of them." said Johann from behind Astra.

"They won't call the police." Astra said. "They can't do anything, not while we have her here. Isn't that right, Scanlan?"

"The others can't get the jewelry." Scanlan said. Behind him, Grog had hurried back, but skidded to a stop when he saw Pike's predicament.

"Seems to me they should all know the safe combination. Even you, big boy." Johann said.

"Let her go." Grog growled.

"Bring us the jewelry and we'll let her go." said Astra. "Don't and we'll send her after her father." Her laugh was sharp in Pike's ear, like the tang of blood. "Better decide quick, before the house caves in on us."

"They're telling the truth." Scanlan said. "They lost it."

"And we're supposed to trust you about that?" Johann asked. "You've been on her side from the start-"

"I know it for a fact." Scanlan's voice didn't waver. "I went looking for them myself. I thought I could trade them for Kaylie's freedom." He met Pike's eyes, and she realized he was bluffing. What was he trying to do?

"Fine." Johann said. "So you don't have the jewelry. We'll make you a new deal, then. Find them, in the next three days, and send them to us, or we kill your wife. And we'll send JB home with you too, so you don't get any ideas about talking to the police. JB!"

JB pushed past Astra and Pike, arms crossed. Her clothing was charred, a few holes on the arms showing angry red spots underneath.

"I'll kill her if you don't let Pike go, now." Grog growled.

Johann snorted. "Do, why don't you. We'll kill your sister."

"Pike would be better for finding the jewelry." Scanlan said. "She knew where it was, she'll have a better place to start."

"If you think we're letting you all go, then you're mad." said Johann.

"No." Scanlan stepped forward. "Keep me here. Let her go. The others won't be looking for the jewelry, they'll be too busy helping Percy, and Grog has no idea where to look. Pike knows what they look like, how much they're worth, what container she put it in, she'll be able to find it."

"Scanlan-" Pike choked out, but Astra laid her hand on Pike's arm.

"That's not a bad idea." Johann said. "And we've seen how much she cares about him, she'll have plenty of reason to come back."

Astra nodded. "Scanlan, over here, before we let her go."

Scanlan slowly stepped towards them.

"No, Scanlan." Pike said, but he wouldn't meet her eyes. "Scanlan!" Astra's fingers found her wound again, and then the blinding pain was back, sending her falling to her knees. By the time her vision had cleared, Scanlan stood beside Astra, Astra's gun against his temple.

Pike picked herself off of the ground. "No." she breathed.

"It is a little sad, isn't it?" Astra said, tugged Scanlan closer. Scanlan closed his eyes. "Keeping them apart on their wedding night? Maybe we ought to take the big guy instead."

"No, he'll be too hard to control." Johann grinned. "I think Scanlan will do just fine."

"No." Pike said again, even as Grog pulled her to her feet. Her head spun, and the doctor's voice in the back of her mind whispered about blood loss, but she ignored it. All this work, all this struggle, finally getting Scanlan back and keeping him, all gone with the jewelry- "No, no!"

"Get her out of here." Johann said to Grog. "And don't even think about trying any sort of rescue mission, even with his fancy ankle monitor. If we see you or any police before you've brought us the necklace, we'll shoot him dead."

Grog tugged Pike out of the door, and she nearly tripped over the unconscious guard again, barely managing to stay upright. "No, no, Scanlan! Scanlan!" Her last sight of him was his pale face, next to Astra's. For just a moment, he reopened his eyes, looking back at her as she stumbled and fell backwards into the yard.

Grog pulled her up again, looking concerned. "What happened to your arm?"

"Bullet." Pike gasped. She touched her bandage again, and her hand came away much wetter than last time. Grog scooped her up under one arm. "Grog, we've got to go back, we've got to get him, we can't leave him-"

"We're not." Grog said as he followed JB down the sidewalk. He grunted in pain, and Pike remembered he'd been shot, too. "We're going to find that jewelry."

* * *

 **Next up: Pike acquires a bottle of wine, and a new roommate.**


	20. Time

**(late 2014)**

After questioning Pike and Scanlan for several minutes about the Trickfoots, Kima finally said her goodbyes, with a warning to call her if they heard anything. Scanlan received a phone call he took into his room, and Pike headed to the gym to spar with Grog.

When she returned, Scanlan was out of the apartment. Pike frowned. She thought he was free all day, but maybe he'd been called in last-minute. Instead, Pike texted the group, and she, Vex, and Keyleth grabbed lunch together. When they'd finished, they dropped Keyleth off at her door, and Vex came with Pike to pick up her sleeping bag from their apartment.

Vex raised her eyebrows at the sight of the cot, still in the living room. "You and Scanlan didn't share it again last night, did you?"

"No." Pike said, crossing to the cot and neatening up the sheets. "He went back to his room. We just haven't moved the cot back in yet, we haven't got a chance."

"All right, darling." Vex said, squatting down next to the sleeping bag. "Can you help me roll this up?"

"Sure." Pike said. "What do you want me to do?"

Vex gestured to the other end of the sleeping bag. "Sit over there and pull. It'll make it roll up tighter."

Pike followed her instructions. As they worked, Vex asked, "So, 'Take a Chance on Me'?"

Pike scratched her neck, not wanting Vex to know the context of that song for her and Scanlan. "It was an inside joke. It's not romantic."

Vex paused, pressing down on the roll she'd created. "Look, I'm sorry for prying, but you have feelings for him, don't you?"

"Um-" Pike flushed, searching for an answer. "Um- yes, I guess you could say that. Sort of."

"Mmhmm." Vex said, continuing her rolling. "Sort of. And he's very into you, he has been for years." Pike made a noncommittal noise, and Vex shook her head. "No, he is. And it'd be perfectly alright if you never returned his feelings, but that's not the case, is it?"

Heat travelling up the back of Pike's neck, to her ears. "It's...complicated."

"Is it?" Vex asked. She'd almost reached Pike, the sleeping bag now a thick cylinder. "Look, dear, it's your life, but it took Percy and I such a long time to get together, even though we both knew our feelings for ages. I don't know, sometimes I wish we hadn't wasted that much time. If you like Scanlan and Scanlan likes you, I think you should go for it."

"Maybe." Pike said. "I'll think about it."

"Do." Vex said, winking at her as she stuffed the sleeping bag into a sack. "Text me if you want to do anything else today, will you? Or if you want to talk at all."

"I- I will." Pike said. After Vex had left, Pike made her way to the couch, and rubbed her forehead. Date Scanlan. Kiss him, hold hands with him, go on dates with him, sleep with him, properly this time- did she want that?

She did, she decided. And with the decision came a sudden rush of relief, of everything she'd been confused about over the past few days, weeks, months. Because she'd never wondered how Scanlan got so many dates. Sure, he was a bit much, but he was funny, handsome, talented, lively, and he could be so nice, sometimes, even if he liked to pretend he was a cad. If she was honest, Pike had had feelings for him for longer than she cared to admit.

She wondered if she should talk to Grog about it so he wouldn't be taken by surprise. She wondered how she would get a moment alone with Scanlan, how to bring up the subject, what she would say, because after their conversation at Halloweenfest, she knew she would have to be the one taking initiative.

Pike shook her head, clearing out the worries. She'd have to find a moment to talk to him about it, sometime without interruptions. Maybe they could go up on the roof when he returned, bring a bottle of wine.

Yeah. That was a nice idea. Pike made a mental note to get a bottle of wine on her way home from work. As she changed into her work clothes, she whistled a cheerful tune.

* * *

 **(2017)**

The next few hours were a blur, of pain, of frantically trying to stop Percy's bleeding in the back of the van, of machines beeping and white hallways, of doctors asking in hushed tones whether they shouldn't call the police. All Pike could remember was quick flashes- Vax's face, grim in the rearview mirror, Percy, unconscious, on a trolley surrounded by doctors, the stain of blood against the emergency room floor, Pike being examined and taken into her own hospital room. She was too aware of how fast time passed, how much of the three days they were wasting. Where everyone else stayed that night, Pike had no idea, but she vividly remembered her hospital room, its empty chairs, the darkness only illuminated by the flashing lights of machines around her, the window looking out onto a small courtyard, the moonlight above it all. She slept fitfully, and not only because of the IV in her wrist. She wondered about the others, where they were, if Percy was alive, if Grog's wound was mostly surface, where they were keeping Scanlan.

The next day was improved slightly by the presence of Grog. He was kept in a room down the hall, but mostly for observation. The bullet in his shoulder had managed to miss anything vital, and had been easily extracted through surgery. He was thickly bandaged, however, both from the gunshot wound and the burns he'd received tackling Ogden to the ground.

"The others wanted to visit." he said, after they'd exchanged the usual gratitude and glad-to-be-alives. "But they're saying family only, cuz there's so many of us. I told them your family sucks."

Pike snorted. "How's Percy?"

"Bad." Grog said. "Vex's the only one who can go see him, because she yelled at them until they let her. She says he's awake some, but barely."

Dread pooled in Pike's stomach. "Did they say where he was hit?"

Grog shook his head. "Vex says he's getting a blood fusion. How're you?"

Pike examined the tight bandage on her upper arm. _"_ Um...surgery went fine, but they're worried it might be infected from Astra. They want to keep me here to make sure."

"Infected." Grog muttered angrily. "When I see Ogden again-"

"Once Scanlan's safe." Pike said. "Are the others out looking for the necklace?"

Grog nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry for losing it. I dunno where it went, I'm really sorry, Pike."

"I know." Pike said. "We'll find it." But even as she said it, she didn't believe her words. "Where's Kaylie?"

"Staying with Keyleth, for the moment. Vax and Tary are helping Vex."

Pike nodded. "Thank you, Grog."

"Welcome." Grog said. "Nothing you didn't do for me. And Pike..." He paused. "I may not be smart, but I'm not dumb. Especially with you two."

"I don't want to talk about it yet." Pike said quietly. "Not until we get him back."

"We'll get him back." Grog said. "And he's not leaving this time."

* * *

Pike's wound wasn't infected, and Pike would've been more grateful, except Percy still hadn't improved and the jewelry was still nowhere to be found and they'd decided to keep her overnight for observation, just in case. By the time Grog had picked her up from the hospital, they were well into the afternoon of the second day, and Pike was too aware of every hour passing.

"What do we do now?" Grog asked as they wandered out into the lobby.

Pike rubbed at the bandage on her arm, feeling weary. She couldn't stop now, though. "Meet up with the others." she said. "Back at my apartment. See where else they've looked, come up with ideas." She pulled out her phone, beginning to type up the message. "Where's JB?"

"She's been staying with Kaylie and the others." Grog said.

Pike nodded. "Maybe- maybe we can see if they'll give us more time."

But when they got back to Pike's apartment, they found Kima waiting in the lobby, arms crossed. She took in Pike's arm, and the lumpy bandages under Grog's shirt. "Pike. I've been calling you."

Pike bit her lip. "I- I've been busy, with the wedding planning."

Kima raised an eyebrow at her bandaged arm. "Looks like. What kind of wedding planning did that?"

"Um, I tripped, in some high heels." Pike said. She wished she could see the door behind her, so she'd know if JB was about to walk in. "I sprained my wrist."

"I can see." said Kima. "Where are the others?" She glanced around the lobby.

"They're upstairs." Pike said. "Probably. Grog and I just got back."

"Hmm." Kima folded her arms. "Just checked upstairs, no one was home. Scanlan's ankle monitor hasn't been here for two days."

"Oh, um, the Trickfoots insisted we sleep apart before the wedding." Pike fidgeted with her hair. "They said they were old-fashioned."

"Mmhmm." Kima shook her head. "Well, I was just here to make sure you were all right, and to ask for an update. Any texts you saw, anything Scanlan said, anything you overheard while they didn't know you were listening, anything at all?"

"Um." Pike said. She pretended to think. She desperately wanted to tell Kima everything, but she couldn't take the chance of JB finding out. "Um. No. I don't think so." Kima still waited, expression stone. "No, no, honestly, nothing."

Kima grunted. "All right, then I'll take my leave, and we'll do our best to pull a miracle out of our asses in the next week. Of course, we'll be arresting your aunt and uncle anyways, but if it comes out at all that anyone helped them, I'm sure we'll be arresting more than just them."

"Right." Pike said. "Of course. We understand."

"Hmm." Kima said, examining them one last time before walking out.

"Why'd she say it like that?" Grog asked after she'd left.

Pike patted him on the arm. "Let's go up."

* * *

That night, Pike returned to the apartment late after several long hours of searching. Grog's landlord had checked the security tapes, but only told them what they'd already suspected- the Trickfoots had snuck into Grog's apartment, once the night they'd given Kaylie the phone, and once a few nights later. But if they really had the necklace, Pike didn't think even they would be playing these games.

JB followed her up the street, her quiet shadow. Pike glanced over at her. JB had been with her all day, not saying much, just observing as they visited pawn shops, as they searched Pike's apartment, and Grog's again, as they searched the gym and everywhere Grog had been the last several days. They found no sign of the necklace, not anywhere, and if it hadn't been stolen from Grog's apartment, she had no idea where it could've gone. Pike was almost in tears by the end of the day.

As she approached the entrance, Kaylie, sitting beside the door, stood. She had been with them for most of the day, but had split off with Keyleth when it came time for dinner. Pike suspected Kaylie hadn't had a good meal in a long time.

"Pike." Kaylie said. Her eyes slid over to JB, but she didn't acknowledge the other girl.

"Kaylie." Pike said. "What- what are you doing here?"

"Can I stay here tonight?"

"Yes, of course." Pike said. "We've got plenty of room."

Kaylie followed JB and Pike through the lobby. Pike didn't know what to say to Kaylie. They made an odd trio in the lobby of Pike's hotel, Pike covered in bandages, Kaylie in dirty clothing with an ungroomed punk hairstyle, and JB, hair drab, gaptooth, in a plain shirt and pants.

They stood silently in the elevator. Pike glanced at Kaylie. After hearing about her for a month, she struggled to believe Kaylie really was there. She wondered what stories Kaylie had, about the missing three years after his departure. She wondered if Kaylie was as worried about Scanlan as she was.

Her apartment was empty and silent now without most of its inhabitants. It was still a mess from when they'd left for the wedding, the Trickfoots' bags still lying around, blankets and pillows still mussed up all over the couch, air mattress, and cot. Kaylie stood in the middle of the room, examining it all, and Pike was struck by her similarities to her father.

JB didn't bother with words, instead heading straight for the couch with barely a glance at the other two.

"Um, you can have the cot, or the air mattress." Pike said. "Whichever you want. Ogden was in the cot, my aunt and uncle were in the mattress."

"Where did Scanlan sleep?" asked Kaylie.

Pike fidgeted. "We were- we were sharing the bed. Do you want food? I've got sandwich things in the fridge."

"I'm fine." Kaylie settled onto the cot, pulling off her shoes. She glanced over her shoulder at JB. "If you try anything, there's no one else here to protect you now."

"I'm not going to try anything." JB said quietly.

"Do you want to move the cot into the bedroom?" Pike asked.

Kaylie shook her head. After a moment of silence, Pike nodded. "All right, um, bathroom is through the bedroom, let me know if you need anything. He mentioned you, Kaylie, a lot."

"Fat lot of good that's done him." Kaylie said, tossing her boot onto the ground with a little more force than needed.

"All right." Pike said. "Good night."

She stepped into the bedroom. It was silly, she'd slept in here alone hundreds of times, but for some reason it felt especially silent tonight. She'd gotten so used to his noise, his humming under his breath, him moving around in the bathroom, him typing out long texts on her phone. Pike stepped further into the room, and nearly tripped over a pile of his clothes on the floor. She picked them up gingerly- a pair of jeans and a tshirt _._ Pike sank onto the bed, holding the shirt, throat growing thick.

Someone knocked on the door. Pike took a breath, setting the t-shirt onto her lap and wiping at her eyes. "Come in." she called.

Kaylie opened the door slowly, examining the room with the same speculative gaze. "Bathroom?" she asked.

"Right through that door." Pike said. "You can use my things if you want to take a shower."

"Thanks." Kaylie said, and disappeared into the bathroom. A moment later, the gentle swish of the shower began. She gave into the temptation and fumbled out of her shirt into Scanlan's t-shirt, and a pair of pajama pants. Pike settled back in bed, feeling the weariness of the day catch up to her. Her phone was silent. Vex hadn't updated them on Percy's condition in a few hours, and Vax and Tary had been headed to the hospital after searching the Slayer's to go check on them.

Kaylie reemerged from the shower after a few minutes, wiping down her hair. "This is where he stayed? This bed?"

Pike nodded. "Yeah. There's his dirty laundry."

Kaylie snorted. "Was always some of that."

Pike chuckled, and the sound was swallowed by the silence like a stone into a pond.

"He mentioned you, too." Kaylie said after a moment. "All of you. You and Grog a lot. But you, too."

"We were friends for a long time." Pike said, fiddling with the collar of her t-shirt.

Kaylie nodded. "He's an idiot."

"He is." Pike agreed. "But we'll get him back, I promise."

Kaylie snorted. "How? What he's gotten himself into this time-"

Pike shook her head. "We'll find the jewelry. It can't have disappeared."

Kaylie returned to the bathroom without a response. Pike buried her face in one hand, drawing her feet up to her thighs again. She tried to stifle the noises of her tears, but it was all too much like the first night her and Grog were alone in their apartment after he left, Pike sleeping alone in the cot since they hadn't wanted to touch Scanlan's room yet.

The door creaked open again, and Pike looked up, hurriedly wiping at her face.

"Sorry." she said, smiling. "Sorry. We were- very close friends, before he left."

Kaylie sat down on the end of the bed, running her hand through her short hair. "He's a really good scammer. Scanlan. That's why they were so mad when we got out, because the two of us, we were the best in the business."

"Really?" Pike said, rubbing the heel of her hand against her eye.

Kaylie nodded. "We tried to target rich folk, mostly, people who were corrupt. He was really good at it, he once convinced someone he was a long lost cousin. Don't think they ever realized. His favorite, though, was pretending to be a lawyer."

"A lawyer?"

Kaylie nodded again. "He called himself Burt Reynolds. They believed him, every time."

Pike smiled. "Sounds like him."

"Yeah." Kaylie said. "He's an idiot and a shit dad, but he's a great swindler. Might not have lasted these three years without him."

Pike sniffed. "I'm sorry it took us so long to get to you. He wanted to move faster, he was worried about you, but we didn't want them to know."

"It's alright." Kaylie said. "Been in worse places."

Pike fidgeted with the covers, pulling them over her legs. "Do you...do you want to stay in here tonight?" Kaylie turned around, raising her eyebrows, and Pike shrugged."I can wake you up early tomorrow and we can keep looking."

"All right." Kaylie said after a moment. "Be nice to sleep in a real bed again." She slowly settled herself under the covers, as if worried there might be a snake underneath.

Pike, with one last glance at her phone, turned off the lights, leaving them in darkness. It wasn't the same, having Kaylie lying beside her, but it was something.

* * *

 **Next up: Pike searches for answers, with varying results.**


	21. Confessions, part 2

**(late 2014)**

All day after Halloweenfest, Pike waited for Scanlan to return. A new bottle of wine sat in her fridge, and excitement thrummed in her stomach at the thought. She didn't think he'd be long- he'd said he wanted to spend time with her today, and she knew his shifts rarely took him all day.

But Scanlan didn't return until after dinner that night, and barely took notice of her and Grog as he entered the apartment. He'd changed before he went out, but his hair was still a mess, and he hadn't replaced his makeup after washing it off that morning.

"Hey, Scanlan." Grog said, not looking up from the game he and Pike were playing.

"Hey." Scanlan opened the fridge, not looking at them. "Whose wine is this?"

"It's mine." Pike said. "I was saving it."

"For what?"

Pike pressed her lips together. "Um...that's not important. You can have some, if you want."

"Thanks." Scanlan grabbed a glass from the cabinets, slammed the door shut, and poured himself a full glass of wine.

"Where were you all day?" Grog asked.

"Album stuff." said Scanlan, taking a long swig of his wine.

"Really, you called them?" Pike asked excitedly. "What are they like? What songs are you going to use?"

"I don't know yet." Scanlan took another swig, and placed the glass in the sink. "I'm going to bed, I've got work early tomorrow."

"Could you wash your dishes before you do?" Pike asked as he crossed to his door.

"I'll wash them tomorrow." Scanlan said, shutting the door behind him.

Pike frowned, and paused the game, looking at Grog.

"Don't look at me." Grog said in a low voice. "I didn't piss him off."

"Me neither." Pike said. She stood and walked to Scanlan's door, knocking on it. He didn't answer. She knocked again. "Scanlan?"

"Yeah?"

"Is everything alright?" Pike leaned against the door, struggling to make out any noise.

"Yeah, fine." Scanlan called. "Just a long day. Don't worry about me."

Pike returned to the couch and picked up her controller again. "We'll ask him about it tomorrow." she said. "Probably just stress."

"Yeah." Grog said, but he didn't sound convinced.

* * *

 **(2017)**

The next morning, what remained of Vox Machina gathered in Pike's living room again, with Kaylie and JB. This meeting lacked the energy of the first, not in the least because Vex sat with them, jumping every time anyone's phone buzzed. Tary had been admitted to Percy's hospital room, and was keeping her updated via text.

"JB, tell them we're looking." Keyleth said. "We really are."

"And we haven't gone to the police." Grog added.

Vax leaned back against the couch, rubbing his temples. "We need more time. We haven't got a fucking clue. If they kill Scanlan tonight, they won't get the necklace."

"We're going to disappear." JB picked at her pillow. "That'll be enough. They don't want to take any more time."

"JB, you could convince them." Vax said. "Surely you don't want Scanlan dead anymore than we do."

"Doesn't she?" Kaylie muttered.

JB folded her arms, glancing at the floor, and Vax leaned forward. "JB, where does this take you?" he asked intently. "You go off again with your family, and what? They keep treating you like Ogden's servant everywhere you go? What happens when you get older, what happens if they die?"

"Vax." said Keyleth warningly. JB dug her toe into the ground.

"Believe me, I've been involved in this kind of organized crime before." Vax said. "Vex and I both were, for years. I know how hard it is to get out, and live your own life. But it's worth it, I promise you."

JB didn't speak for a moment, digging her toe harder into the rug. "I...I can't convince them to give you an extension. They don't listen to me."

"But you could do something." Pike pleaded. "Convince them to- not to kill Scanlan, or something. You're smart, JB."

JB lifted her head. "If I help you," she said quietly, "I want part of whatever immunities you're giving Scanlan and Kaylie. And I want some money, to go off somewhere far away and get a job. And I want help getting a job."

"Thought you said they wouldn't listen to you." Kaylie said.

JB shook her head. "No, they'll listen to me. Because I have the necklace and earrings. I took them from Grog's apartment."

The room fell silent, and even Vex looked up from her phone. Pike exchanged looks with Grog. "But the tapes-" she said. They had seen JB on the security tapes, she realized, in the first attempt the Trickfoots had made on Grog's apartment. "But you didn't tell them."

JB made a noise of derision. "Johann wishes you were his daughter, you know, instead of me. He's never said it, but I can tell. He wishes they hadn't raised me. He doesn't care if I die."

"JB." Pike began.

"And I'm smarter than they think I am." JB said. "They think I'm dumb, that I never know what's going on. They never tell me what's going on, but I always figure it out."

"Sorry, did you say you have the necklace?" Vex asked. "Is that what I just heard?"

JB shrugged. "I took it, when we were at Grog's. I was gonna surprise them with it, show them I'm more useful than they think, but then next morning Astra was fawning all over you instead, how she missed you when you left and how well you've turned out. So I kept it."

"And you didn't say anything?" Vex said, voice rising. "You let us look for two days, you let Pike and Grog get shot, you let them keep Scanlan, you let them nearly kill Percy-"

Vax stood from the crouch, crossing to sit next to her. "Stubby, hush. She didn't have any reason to trust us."

"A conscience."

"I'm sorry." JB said. "I didn't- I didn't know what to do. But if you get me what I asked for, I'll give you the necklace, and you can exchange it for Scanlan."

"How do we know you're not lying again?" Grog asked.

"What else are we going to do?" Keyleth said. "Search the Slayer's again? We're out of places and we don't have time. Let's just take her deal, and tell the police, and get this all done."

"You won't find it on your own." JB said. "I hid it well."

Kaylie made a noise of disgust. "You're pretty proud of yourself." She turned to Pike. "I want him back. Even if it means she goes free."

Pike nodded, pulling out her phone. "I'm going to call Kima."

* * *

The rest of the day was a blur of questionings, and requestionings, and planning, lots of planning. JB, after about two hours spent answering questions for the police, contacted the Trickfoots to say they'd found the necklace and wanted to meet up tonight to exchange it. After supper, Pike found herself in a taxi next to Kaylie, waiting for JB to retrieve the jewelry and climb in with them. A brief flutter of nerves hit her when JB failed to appear, but after a few moments, she finally spotted her cousin walking towards them with a shoebox in her hands.

As soon as JB climbed in the car, Pike took the box, opening it. The necklace and earrings lay inside, exactly as she remembered. "Where did you hide it?" Pike asked.

"On the roof."

Pike, despite the situation, smiled. "Really? I've never found the way up there."

"There's some stairs that go up from the basement." JB said, staring at her hands clasped in her lap.

As the taxi drove away from the curb and into traffic, Pike stared out the window, drumming her fingers on the box. She hoped the police concealed themselves well.

They pulled up onto a dark street, a five minute walk from the park where she and the Trickfoots planned on meeting. JB climbed out of the car, and Pike and Kaylie followed. Kaylie, in all outward appearances, was unaffected by what they were about to do. She strolled along the path with her hands in her pockets, but she whistled one of Scanlan's songs.

The tennis court where they'd agreed to meet gleamed eerily this time of night, a few flickering street lamps casting a burnt out glow onto its crusty green surface. Pike crossed to one end of it, box in hands, and glanced around. No one else was visible, police or criminal.

"We're early." Kaylie said. "They like to show late. Gives them a sense of power."

JB picked at her nails, saying nothing.

After the longest ten minutes of her life, Pike spotted several figures coming towards the court. Johann shoved the unmistakable figure of Scanlan along, hands tied behind his back, and Astra followed at a slower pace. Ogden limped behind them, flanked by at least seven of his hired help, and leaning heavily on a cane. In the dim light, the damage from the fire cast a dark shadow on his face, and his chest and legs were wrapped in bandages similar to Grog's.

They stopped a few yards from the net. For a moment, neither group spoke. Pike's eyes kept flicking to Scanlan, searching for injuries.

"I want to see them first." Ogden said. He gestured at Pike to walk forward. "Come on."

Pike clenched her jaw, taking several steps towards the net. She opened the box gingerly and took out the necklace and earrings, holding them up to the light.

"Oh, they're still so gorgeous." Astra said. "Imagine what we could buy with this, Johann, we could go to Cancun."

Pike lowered the necklace and earrings back into the box, trying to keep her injured arm from shaking. "Give him back and I'll give you the box." she called.

Ogden smiled. "Did you hear that, Scanlan? She wants you back so badly. I'm starting to think you two might have been in love after all. And look, your daughter showed up, your whole family is here. Long time no see, Kaylie."

"Fuck off." Kaylie spat.

Ogden arched an eyebrow. "Eloquent. JB, come join us, and then we'll make this trade."

"She's staying on this side." said Kaylie.

"Very well." Ogden said. "Johann?"

Johann guided Scanlan over to the end of the net, on the side of the court.

Pike approached slowly with the box, until they stood a foot apart. She eyed Scanlan. He appeared a bit more bruised, hair mussed and the same dirty clothes on him, but otherwise, he looked fine.

"Hand me the box and I'll give you your husband." Johann drawled.

Pike noticed Scanlan's eyes widen. "How about you let go of him first?" she said evenly.

Johann smiled. "If that's what you want." He let go of Scanlan, pushing him towards Pike. "Go on, husband."

Scanlan's eyes were still wide as he walked towards Pike, though, and he flicked his gaze over to Johann. Pike noticed the subtle shift in the crowd behind him, the way many of them lay a hand on their guns.

"The box?" Johann asked, holding out his hand.

Pike understood immediately. She sent up a quick prayer the police were ready to intervene. "The box." Pike said, handing it to him. When Johann stepped away, though, Pike yanked him back in front of her, and Johann shook with the impact of two bullets to the back.

"Police! Get down!" came a voice from outside of the tennis court.

And then things began happening very quickly.

Pike kept one hand on Johann, the other grabbing Scanlan, and darted to the side of the court as several figures with flashlight entered the fray. She took cover behind a bench on the side of the court, pulling Scanlan with her, and grit her teeth at the near blinding pain in her arm. Johann slumped onto the top of the bench, badly bleeding. Pike crept around to the side, trying to make out Kaylie in the confusion, but too many figures were running around.

Pike ducked back behind the bench and went to work on Scanlan's bindings. When she had untied him, she ripped out his gag, grabbed his face, and kissed him, nearly knocking him onto the ground. Scanlan took a moment to reciprocate, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

They were interrupted by the blinding beam of a flashlight. "Hands in the air!" a woman's voice barked, and Pike rolled off of Scanlan. They both slowly raised their hands in the air, and Pike had to fight the urge to giggle.

Another beam of light danced over to them, and Pike recognized Kima's voice. "It's alright, that's Pike and Scanlan. They're not under arrest." Her light hit Scanlan's face, and Scanlan squinted. "Yet. Get up, you two."

Pike stood, grabbing Scanlan's hand to help him up, and didn't let go. Her eyes slowly adjusted back to the dim light. The fighting and chaos had ceased. Several figures on the ground, police standing above them, clicking handcuffs onto their wrists. She couldn't, however, see Kaylie, or JB.

And then footsteps pounded towards them in the darkness. Kima turned around, raising her gun, and relief washed over Pike.

"It's Kaylie." Pike said. "She's alright, don't shoot her."

Kima lowered her gun a moment before Kaylie lunged at Scanlan, wrapping her arms around him. Scanlan let go of Pike to hug her back, lifting her off the ground. "Oh, my God." Scanlan said.

Kaylie pulled away first, and hit him on the shoulder. "You're an idiot."

"Kaylie." Scanlan said, disbelief in his voice. "Kaylie, oh, my God." He hugged her again, and Kaylie's breath hitched.

She was blinded suddenly with the light of Kima's headlamp. "How many were there?" Kima asked.

"Ten." Pike said. "Seven I didn't recognize, and Ogden, Johann, and Astra. And JB's still out there."

Kima nodded, and jogged back into the darkness, shouting out to the other police officers. By the time Pike's eyes had adjusted, Kaylie and Scanlan had pulled away from one another.

Scanlan stepped over to her, slowly, hesitantly. "Pike." he whispered.

"Scanlan Shorthalt." Pike said, voice shaking. _"_ If you ever do that again _-"_

Scanlan stepped forward, reaching for her, but the light blinded them again.

"All right, we've got all of them." Kima said. "We're going to need you all to come down to the station for a few hours, to answer questions and work out details of what happens to JB, Kaylie, and Scanlan now. Pike, we'll need you too, we might release them into your care temporarily."

"Of course." Pike said, pulling away from Scanlan, although she kept her hand in his until they reached the cars.

* * *

The ride back to her apartment was silent. Pike suspected they were all talked out, after all the interviews. Scanlan sat in the center, as neither Kaylie nor Pike wanted to be far from him, and Pike rested her head on his shoulder. It was still sinking in, slowly, that it was over, that her family was arrested, that Scanlan was back, that the whole sting had ended and there was no one to pretend for.

"They wanted to shoot you both." Scanlan whispered. "That was going to be my punishment for leaving, watching both of you die. I'm glad you called the police without JB knowing."

"She knew." Pike said. "She gave us the necklace."

Scanlan turned, looking at her in surprise, and Pike smiled. "No bullshit."

"No bullshit." Scanlan said, voice coming out as half of a laugh.

"There's a roof up on our building, she said." Pike said.

"Maybe we should check it out."

Beside Scanlan, Kaylie snorted. "That wasn't one of your best lines. The roof?"

"Hush, daughter." said Scanlan, intertwining his fingers with Pike's.

* * *

 **Next up: endings and beginnings.**


	22. The Cot, part 2

**A/N: Posting a day early because I'll be away from wifi tomorrow and Wednesday. Final chapter should be up next Tuesday!**

 **Also, lots of kissing ahead, with heavy implications of more. Be warned.**

* * *

 **(late 2014)**

A week after Halloweenfest, Pike returned home for the night, expecting the apartment to be empty. Instead, she found Scanlan, cooking something and whistling under his breath.

Pike paused at the door. He looked more cheerful than he had in days. All week, he had either been on his phone or out of the apartment, and when they did talk, he smiled and joked and flirted, but his heart clearly wasn't into it. "You don't have work tonight?" she asked.

"Switched shifts with someone. Where's Grog?"

"On a date." Pike said. "He said not to expect him back until late."

Scanlan raised his eyebrows. "So I guess we have the place to ourselves for the night."

"Yeah, I guess so." Pike said. She crossed to her and Grog's room and tossed her bag onto the cot, heart pounding. As she returned to the living room, pulling her hair out of its ponytail, she asked, "You don't have any stuff to work on with the album tonight?"

Scanlan shook his head. "No, I...I think the bulk of the work is done for that, for now."

"Really?" Pike sat down at the kitchen table. "But you haven't even recorded anything yet."

"No, it's just been legal stuff mostly." Scanlan said. "It's been a mess, though, there's been so much to do. But I think it's going to be fine."

"Huh." Pike looked down at her hands, clasped on the table. She hadn't expected such a perfect opportunity to fall into her lap so soon.

"Do you want some dinner?" Scanlan asked.

"What is it, chicken again?"

"Yes." Scanlan said, a laugh in his voice. "But it's really good chicken."

"Sure, all right." said Pike. "I can do the dishes afterwards."

After they ate, however, neither were inclined to stand up. They stayed in their seats for several minutes as the leftovers on their plates grew cold, talking and laughing. After the past week, she was relieved to see Scanlan in such high spirits. Finally, she leaned forward.

"I've got an almost-full bottle of wine in the fridge." she said in a low voice. "Do you want to go up to the roof before we worry about these dishes?"

Scanlan smiled. "Why would I ever say no to that?"

Before they went up, however, Scanlan ducked in his room, and emerged with his guitar. Pike raised her eyebrows.

"I realized I hadn't gotten a chance to pay you my new song, yet." Scanlan said. "I think I might put it on the new album, but I wanted to get your opinion on it first."

"Sure." Pike said, excitement buzzing under her skin. She climbed up the fire escape, taking the stairs two at a time, until they reached the top. The night was beautiful, as she'd hoped- uncommonly mild for November, and the sky glistened with stars, even with all of the light pollution of the city. In the distance, the skyline of Emon twinkled gently against the horizon.

Pike settled herself onto the lawn chair, eyes on the skyline. "I've missed this."

"Me too." Scanlan said, leaning his guitar against the lawn chair before sitting down. "It was hard to get a moment alone like this with your family all here."

"It was." Pike said. Nervously, she picked up the wine bottle, uncorking it. "You want some?"

"Gladly." Scanlan said. Their fingers brushed as he took the bottle from her. "You aren't sick, are you?"

"Why?" Pike asked, a smile curling the side of her mouth.

Scanlan wiggled his eyebrows. "Sharing the bottle like this, it's almost like kissing, isn't it? Don't want to give each other anything."

Pike snorted, leaning back against the lawn chair."Gimme the wine." She brushed his fingers again purposefully, taking the bottle back from him, and took a long drink before setting it down in between them. Pike sensed Scanlan watching her. She knew she had to take the initiative in this conversation, but she had no idea how to start.

"So how have you been?" she asked. "I haven't seen you all week."

The smile vanished from Scanlan's face, and he picked up the wine bottle again, taking a hefty sip. "It's been...stressful. There were some unexpected challenges with recording an album."

Pike sat up, looking at him. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"What do you mean by that?" Scanlan placed the bottle of wine back in between them. His voice was far from cheerful. "It's what I always wanted, isn't it?"

Pike bit her lip. "Scanlan, what's going on?"

Scanlan stared at his lap, drumming his fingers on his legs. "I told you. It's just the album deal."

"Scanlan." Pike said.

Scanlan met her eyes, and for the first time that night, she saw some of the weariness and distraction of the past week in his expression. He turned away, running his fingers through his hair. "Um..."

Pike picked up the bottle of wine and offered it back to him. "No bullshit."

"Thanks." he said, taking it. "It changes things. I like my life here, with you, and Grog, and everyone." He took a gulp of wine. "And now I've got this album, and Vax and Keyleth are talking about moving out...it feels like things are changing."

"Not so fast." Pike said. "You're not a star yet. Vax and Keyleth aren't moving out until the end of the year. And even then, we'll still see them, Vex and I will make sure of it."

"Right." Scanlan said, smiling. "'We still got a little bit before I become a star."

Pike wrinkled her nose, taking the bottle of wine back from him. "I hope a little longer than that."

"Why?" Scanlan asked. "You gonna miss me, Pikeypants, when I'm off on tour?"

"Of course I am." Pike said, meeting his eyes. "Who else am I going to share the roof with?"

"Grog?" Scanlan scooted closer in his chair. "Or Vex, maybe, she'd probably think it was cool."

"It wouldn't be the same." Pike said in a low voice. She twisted to face Scanlan, and placed the wine bottle to the side, out of the way.

"And why's that?"

Scanlan's eyes were hooded, in a look she'd seen many times before. Pike's gaze flicked between them and his lips. She felt pleasantly warm and carefree, on this beautiful night, with this beautiful man. "Because..." Pike licked her lips. "They're not you."

Scanlan leaned forward, and Pike instinctively panicked, pulling away. "Why don't you play me your song?" she asked, before Scanlan could speak.

Scanlan pushed his hair out of his face. "Sure." he said, leaning over and grabbing his guitar. He pushed his bangs out of his face again, smiling sheepishly, and Pike pressed her lips together as Scanlan positioned his fingers on the frets and began to play.

The song sounded as beautiful as it had been the morning when Pike first heard it. The chords were lovely, but something minor in them tugged at the heart. More beautiful than the chords, though, were the lyrics itself. Pike hadn't actually heard any of them, the entire time Scanlan had been writing this song, and now she knew why he'd been so secretive. They were all about Scanlan and Pike, about unrequited love of a close friend, about mixed signals and unwanted emotions, about the closeness between them, sitting in the kitchen eating together, or whispering together at night, or talking on the roof, just like this. By the time Scanlan was halfway through the song, Pike wanted to kiss him, but she held out until he'd finished strumming the last chords and met her eyes once more.

"What do you think?" he asked.

Pike leaned forward, cupping the back of his head in her hand and kissing him. It felt amazing, as she'd always thought kissing Scanlan would feel- like a delicious sip of a drink, or sitting down after a long walk, or laughing so hard your stomach hurt. His lips were soft, and he gently deepened the kiss, grabbing her hand.

Pike bumped against the guitar in between them, and they broke apart. They both laughed, and Scanlan moved the guitar aside.

Pike stopped him, laying a hand on his arm. "Let's go back in." she whispered.

Scanlan licked his lips. She'd often seen this intense expression on his face, but never had it made her feel like this, flushed and excited. "You sure?"

Pike nodded. "I'm sure. I only had a glass of wine, I'm still sober."

"All right, then." Scanlan grinned, picking up the guitar with one hand. Pike grabbed his other hand, and led him back down the fire escape, into their apartment.

Once they had climbed safely inside the living room, Pike stopped, kissing him again and wrapping her arms around him and his guitar. They stood together in the middle of the living room for a long moment, swaying back and forth while Pike kissed under Scanlan's ear and Scanlan made the most delectable noises. Their dishes sat unwashed on the kitchen table, the smell of chicken still filling the air.

After a moment, Scanlan began reciprocating, nibbling on a sensitive part of Pike's neck, and Pike lost concentration entirely. She ran her fingers through his ponytail, and he returned the favor, stroking her hair. The feeling of his fingers in her hair was so incredible, so gentle, that she pulled away.

"Come on." she whispered, grabbing his hand and leading him to her and Grog's bedroom. She switched on the light.

Scanlan set his guitar against the wall. "Are you sure?"

"Stop saying that." Pike said, and she pulled him towards her by the collar of his shirt, kissing him. "I've been sure since the first night you spent on that cot. Maybe longer." She leaned back, an inch between their lips. "You're sure, right?"

Scanlan laughed. "Pikeypants. Since I met you."

Pike kissed him again, deeply, the way she'd wanted to for longer than she cared to admit. Now that Scanlan had set down his guitar, his hands were all over her, caressing her back, slipping up under her shirt. Pike walked them back slowly towards the cot, and sat down, pulling Scanlan down with her. She unbuttoned Scanlan's shirt slowly as he kissed along her collarbone, and pushed it down along his arms.

When his shirt hung halfway off, Scanlan stopped, raising his head to meet her eyes. "You sure you're sure?" he whispered.

"Of course." Pike said, pressing a kiss to his nose.

A smile spread across Scanlan's face. "No bullshit?"

Pike chuckled, and twisted them so Scanlan lay underneath her on the cot. She lowered herself slowly on top of him, stroking his cheek. "No bullshit." she whispered, and then, "Get that shirt off."

"Anything for you, beautiful." Scanlan said, wriggling out of his shirt.

Pike giggled, pulling away. "Does that line actually work?"

Scanlan grinned and pulled her back in for another kiss.

* * *

 **(2017)**

When Pike opened the door to her apartment, cheers greeted her. Grog had used his apartment key to let the rest of Vox Machina in, although Percy and Vex were conspicuously absent. Pike smiled at the look on Scanlan's face- she'd planned this greeting for him while waiting for him and Kaylie to leave the police station. Scanlan's eyes were wide as he hugged Vax, and a smiling Keyleth, and accepted several pats on the back.

Grog stepped up to him slowly, folding his arms. "You owe me, like, eleventy-thousand drinks. Half of all the beers I drank at our bar over the past three years."

"I am happy to buy you drinks." Scanlan said. "Once I get a job."

Grog shook his head, sniffling, and hugged Scanlan tightly. "I'm glad you're back."

He and Scanlan embraced for a long moment. Scanlan pulled away, glancing around the room. "Where's Percy and Vex?"

The good mood drained out of the room, and Pike placed a hand on Scanlan's shoulder. "Still in the hospital." she said quietly. "Ogden hurt him really bad."

"But he's stable now." Keyleth said, looking at Vax. "That's what Vex said, right?"

Vax nodded. "He is, and she says he's normal, on and off. He's on a fuckton of painkillers, though." Scanlan frowned, and Vax slapped him on the back. "Don't worry about that tonight." he said. "He'll be fine. We're all fine. Let's drink."

An hour and a few drinks later, the impromptu party wound down, until only Grog, Pike, Scanlan, and Kaylie remained.

Pike felt impossibly warm, and not just from the drink. She was seated between Scanlan and Grog, like old times, making jokes and having stupid arguments over nothing. Kaylie was coming out of her shell a bit, too, although she tensed whenever Grog got too boisterous.

Someone knocked, and Pike crossed to the door, pulling it open. "Hey." Keyleth said. "I think I left my bag here, can I come find it?"

"Sure." Pike said.

As Keyleth dug her purse out of the couch, Grog stood, stretching. "I should be getting home. I've got work early tomorrow morning."

"I'll walk you two out." said Scanlan, and Kaylie rose with him. Scanlan raised his eyebrows. "Coming?"

Kaylie stuck her hands in her pockets. "Yeah."

Pike hugged Grog and Keyleth again. "I'm gonna get started on some of these dishes." she said, concealing a yawn behind one hand. They said their goodnights and left, and the apartment was empty.

As Pike stacked up cups, carrying them over to the sink, she couldn't keep a smile off of her face. Even if they still had Scanlan and Kaylie's court cases to worry about, they were both safe, and Scanlan was back, and Percy was stable, and things might calm down again. Her arm still hurt, even with painkillers, but she could bear it. She rinsed out each cup, stacking them in the already-full dishwasher, and crossed to the couch and air mattress. She couldn't wait to wash the smell of Trickfoot out of her spare sheets.

The door reopened, and Pike turned. Scanlan walked in, slowly, and closed the door behind him.

"Kaylie?" Pike asked quietly.

"Decided to stay with Keyleth for the night." Scanlan said. "Her decision. I think she wanted to give us some privacy. How is your arm?"

Pike dropped the sheets onto the couch and strode quickly forward, grabbing Scanlan's shoulders and pulling him into a deep kiss. For a moment, the world spun around her, time twisting back three years to their first kiss on the rooftop three years ago. And then Scanlan's wedding ring brushed against her neck as he put his arms around her, and she giggled into his mouth.

"What?" Scanlan asked, pulling barely a breath away.

Pike stepped away from him, holding out her hand. "Come on."

Scanlan took her hand and she tugged him over to the cot. Scanlan grinned as Pike walked around him. "Oh, Mrs. Shorthalt."

"Mr. Trickfoot." Pike murmured, pushing him one-handed onto the cot. She lowered herself onto him, Scanlan eagerly pulling her down, and neither said another word.

* * *

 **(late 2014)**

In the middle of the night, the cot creaked, waking Pike. She rolled over to see Scanlan's shadowy form sitting up, his pensive expression illuminated by the glow of his phone.

"Scanlan?" Pike whispered.

The phone light disappeared, leaving the room in pitch darkness. A moment later, a hand brushed back her bangs, and lips pressed against her forehead. "Go back to sleep." he whispered.

"Are you okay?" Pike whispered.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." said Scanlan. "Just go to sleep, everything's okay. I love you."

For years afterwards, Pike would regret this moment, when she rolled over, too tired to question him. Whatever it was, they'd talk in the morning. She didn't take long to drift back into a twilight state, barely conscious of the pillow beneath her arms. After a few minutes, she thought she heard the outer door squeak open, but by then, she was too far gone to know for sure.

* * *

 **(2017)**

Afterwards, Pike and Scanlan lay side-by-side on the cot, arms around each other. Scanlan turned his head, pressing a kiss to her temple. Pike was floating, the cot adrift on a calm ocean, moving with the waves.

"Scanlan?" she whispered.

Scanlan grunted. His eyes had fluttered closed, his breath evening out. Pike propped herself up on one elbow, stroking a hand across his chest. "Scanlan, I love you."

Scanlan slowly opened his eyes. "I love you too, Pike."

Pike kissed him again, and Scanlan reached up to stroke her hair. Neither let go of of the other for a long time. "Pike. I gotta pee."

Pike tightened her hold on him. "Come back soon."

"Oh I promise." Scanlan said, pressing a kiss to her lips before getting up. When he returned a few minutes later, Pike tugged him back into bed immediately, wrapping her arms around him.

Scanlan laughed. "Miss me?"

"Yes." Pike murmured, nestling her head into his chest. "Always."

* * *

 **Next up: An epilogue.**


	23. Epilogue

Here's the thing about divorces: there's a lot of paperwork involved.

Pike and Scanlan don't have time, over the next few months, for more paperwork. Scanlan does not go to trial, thanks to the plea deal, but he does end up going to prison for a reduced sentence, with Kaylie and JB alongside him. Pike stays busy while he's gone, working at the Slayer's and as a doctor and saving money to help JB, but the separation is easier, knowing he will be back soon. And he is- he is paroled early, for good behavior, and returns to her apartment. After a few months, Kaylie follows, and Pike's apartment is full again.

Even then, it's still a joke, her and Scanlan's marriage. Sure, they share a bed, and are, for all intents and purposes, dating, but neither have ever been the marrying type. Besides, Vox Machina has a different wedding to worry about- Vex proposes to Percy, the day he gets home from the hospital, and after a long recovery, they are several months deep into planning a small wedding that somehow turns into a huge affair. Scanlan, after he's released, spends a lot of time helping with the wedding, both out of love for weddings and a desire to atone to Percy. And Pike wonders, sometimes, as she watches him joke with Percy about tablecloths, or work on music for the reception, or examine floral arrangements, if maybe they shouldn't stay married after all.

She and Scanlan and Kaylie keep living together, and a year passes since Vex and Percy's wedding, and they find a bigger space to move into, the three of them, while Kaylie looks into colleges. Pike gets to know Kaylie, and grows to love her, this woman who is both nothing and everything like Scanlan, and Kaylie slowly begins to trust her, too. Meanwhile, Percy and Vex return from their honeymoon, and JB finds a job at a library, and Scanlan picks up music again, and the Slayer's Cake is mentioned as a must-visit place for Emon.

It isn't all perfect, of course. They have all the usual arguments, and miscommunications, and stresses over work and money and politics. There is a scary month during which Astra goes missing from prison, and Vax gets sick, really sick, and Kaylie stops talking to them for a few weeks after a fight, and Tary eventually decides maybe running a bakery isn't what he wants to do with his life. But it is life, all of them together- her and Scanlan and Grog, the twins, Keyleth, Percy, Tary, all a family, as they had been for so long. The wounds over Scanlan's departure take a few years to heal, but they heal. Pike still wakes up with nightmares of Grog getting shot, but eventually she can move her arm with only a little stiffness. Scanlan takes a job teaching music at a local music shop, and Tary helps him set up a Youtube channel, and he seems content.

So eventually there is another wedding, about eleven years from the day they'd met. Pike buys a white sundress, and Scanlan gets a silly purple suit, and they have Vax officiate over the ceremony, and there's a ridiculous party afterwards, with all the drinks and dancing anyone could want. Grog is man of honor, again, and Kaylie pretends indifference until Scanlan asks her to be his best woman. They drink, and they laugh, and they cry, a bit, when "Take A Chance On Me" comes on the wedding playlist, and Pike is thirty-six and Scanlan is past forty and they're happy.

But all of that comes later, after the trial, after Percy comes home from the hospital, after the incredible bachelorette party Grog throws her the night before Scanlan goes to jail, after time has healed some of the trauma of the events surrounding Pike and Scanlan's engagement. For now, Pike wasn't thinking of any of that, wasn't aware of anything beyond her current mission.

"JB said it was down here." she said, pulling Scanlan down the basement stairs.

"May I remind you that JB has a reputation for being a liar?" Scanlan said.

Pike gave him a dirty look. "So do you. So do I, if you count these past few months."

"Worked out, didn't it?" Scanlan said, leaning in to kiss her. He paused, eyes focused on something behind her. "There."

Pike turned- a metal door lay on the wall behind her, with fading block letters on it spelling out STAIRS. She turned back to Scanlan, grinning, and pressed a kiss to his lips.

The STAIRS part was far from a lie. By the time she and Scanlan reached the top, they were both sweating and panting. Scanlan stopped on the upper landing, bent over. "I'm too old for this."

"That's not what you said last night." said Pike.

Scanlan straightened, shaking his head. "Grog's right. You are a monster."

Pike winked at him and pushed open the door, walking out onto the roof. It was about what she expected. They came up in the middle of the day, so it was hot up here, sun blazing down on the empty concrete area. There was plenty of trash and bird poop scattered around, just like their old roof back at Greyskull. The roof lacked any lawn chairs, though.

Pike crossed to the edge of the building, put her hands on the railing, and looked out. This roof did have one advantage over Greyskull- they were higher up here, and the view was incredible. Pike had also moved much closer to downtown, so the cityscape wasn't so far away this time. She marveled at it, the city of Emon, spread out in busy streets and cluttered rooftops and blinking lights, stretching away from her to the impossibly blue horizon.

Scanlan came up behind her, putting his arm around her. For a moment, they both took in the view.

"Better than Greyskull." Scanlan said.

"Yeah." said Pike. "We've got to buy some chairs and bring them up here, though."

"Good idea." Scanlan's hand traced a slow path up and down her back.

"I was thinking," Pike whispered, "we buy a third one. We always meant to bring someone else up with us, why not Kaylie?"

Scanlan kissed her, and Pike pulled him closer, and neither broke away for a long moment. When they did, Scanlan rested his forehead against hers.

They stood there for a long time, holding hands and watching the city move beneath them. They talk about the future, a little, about Scanlan's plea deal, about Kaylie, about finding work, about Percy's condition _._ Pike reveled in the simplicity of it all, of having a partner, someone to be a team with against everything life threw at them. Part of her wondered why they hadn't started doing this years earlier, although she knew the answer.

They stayed on the roof together until the sun dipped below the horizon.

* * *

 **(Coda)**

From the lyrical notes of Scanlan Shorthalt, dated October 28th, 2014:

 _They say if you let it, love will give you wings_

 _I've loved her for years, and I'm still falling_

 _Love's not a game, it's a reckless thing_

 _Oh, but you're lucky if you feel the sting_

 _Oh, but you're lucky if you feel the sting_

* * *

 **Thank you so much to everyone who read this whole thing! Hope you enjoyed!**


End file.
